Mona Jerome, 83, founded of Ever After Mustang Rescue, died Jan. 21. Courtesy photo/Facebook

BIDDEFORD — For nearly 20 years, Mona Jerome could be found most days at the nonprofit mustang rescue she founded in Biddeford. There she would speak to  volunteers and visitors of the plight of mustang horses in America and  show off the horses she cared for, either through the end of their life or until they were trained and adopted by those who had the ability to care for them.

Jerome, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in July and died at her daughter’s home on Jan. 21, at the age of 83, was passionate about mustangs, and her passion was contagious.

“Mona is a true pioneer for her efforts to advocate for and rescue mustangs,” a posting on Facebook by the American Wild Horse Campaign said.

She worked tirelessly on behalf of the animals she loved so much and established the rescue center as a refuge for unwanted, neglected and abused mustangs.

To prevent overpopulation, several times a year the U.S. Department of the interior’s Bureau of Land Management captures wild horses and burros. Throughout the year, the BLM puts some of these animals up for adoption. Until a horse is adopted, the BLM keeps them captive. However, some of those who adopt the wild horses underestimate the work and care required, and it is some of these horses that make their way to the Biddeford center.

Jerome had a long history of love for wild mustangs. She and her husband Brad, who died in 2012, purchased Bush Brook Farm in 1980 to be home to a 6-year-old mustang.

After many years of volunteering assisting contractors for the Bureau of Land Management at New England Satellite Adoptions, participating in yearly wild horse workshops offered by Least Resistance Training Concepts throughout the west, and learning about the wild horse from those with many years of experience, her passion led to her founding of the Ever After Mustang Rescue on her family farm on West Street in Biddeford in 2002.

Jerome, who had been a nurse by profession, retired from the rescue in 2021.

Her passion inspired others who volunteered at the center to help care for the horses.

Jerome, said Dawn Marie Frost on social media, “has been such an inspiration to so many with her compassion for animals as well as people. Her program for women on Monday’s was huge for boosting women’s self esteem as well as the amazing rescues she has made of the mustangs there.”

“I am truly honored to have known such an incredible and influential woman,” said Sarah Pare on Facebook. “She was a mentor, a role model and a friend. I will be forever thankful for the priceless knowledge she has passed on to myself and others who worked along side her. I loved watching and observing her way with horses. I learned so much from her over the years about life, faith, and mustangs. It is because of her that I found a love and passion for the American Mustang. I am so proud to be a part of a legacy she started at Ever After Mustang Rescue.”

Jerome never tired of educating others about the plight of America’s mustangs that roam free in areas of the American west. Under Jerome’s leadership, Ever After Mustang Rescue, one of the first such rescues in the Northeast, hosted a number of events, shows and clinics to increase awareness about mustangs. Some of the events at the 63-acre Bush Brook Farm, where the rescue is located, include  Mustangs in Motion, showcasing riders and trained mustangs, Pow Wows, open houses and more. Clinics and other training events also take place. As well, Jerome often took some of the gentle ponies to community events to provide rides for children.

Jerome’s death is “a great loss to New England and the national mustang rescue community,” said Gerry Scott of Horse Lovers of New England — a group that uses horses to target depression — on Facebook.

“She cared for 200-300 formerly wild mustang rescues,” he said. “She used all her money, all her time and all her love. … What an absolute lioness she was!”

An example of her desire to educate people about mustangs and horses in general took place on April 26, in 2015,  when Jerome organized a horse parade in West Kennebunk.

It was a small parade for a big cause — it was the ASPCA’s Help a Horse Day — and horse people from around the country were encouraged to plan events that drew attention to horses.

It did, drawing horses from York County and from other locales, and was enjoyed by children and adults alike, who lined Alfred Road to see the horses and their riders.

“It was designed to bring the focus to horses,” said Jerome after the parade. “We wanted to get as many horse people involved as possible.”

Despite Jerome’s death the rescue and the work she started continues. The rescue relies on donations; those who wish may donate in Mona’s memory to the Ever After Mustang Rescue, 463 West St., Biddeford, ME 04005. For more information about the rescue, visit the website: https://mustangrescue.org/

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the family farm in Biddeford in the summer.