The Newfoundland Pony Society has launched a fundraising campaign to raise a quarter of a million dollars for a new park to help preserve the endangered breed.
Just over 40 years ago, there were over 12,000 hardy Newfoundland ponies in the province. That number dwindled to fewer than 200 by the late 1980s.
Intensive conservation efforts have helped to lift those numbers up to 500 to 600 animals in Canada and the United States.
(Photo courtesy Matthew Emberton.)
President Jack Harris says to mark their 40th anniversary they are hoping to secure additional pastureland to help build the breed’s numbers even further.
The Newfoundland Pony Heritage Park will be located near Hopeall, Trinity Bay on 25 acres of land acquired from the provincial government.
The money will go toward clearing the land, erecting fencing and fixing the existing well, as well as an entrance for the public.
