"I don't think we could have planned this or imagined this."
<br>Meet Lily.
She's a horse from Pennsylvania with a bright future.
Things weren't always looking up for the 20-year-old mare, though.
In March, she was found abandoned at a stable in Lancaster County — emaciated, blind in one eye, and in severe pain.
As it turns out, Lily had been shot with more than 100 paintballs by an abusive owner (who has since been brought to justice).
Malnourished and neglected, Lily had a long road to recovery ahead of her — including a surgical procedure to remove one of her eyes and improve vision in the other.
Thankfully, though, her story was spotted by a couple who were in the perfect position to lend a helping hand to a horse in need. And their names may ring a bell...
Jon Stewart and his wife, Tracey, heard about Lily and decided to welcome her to their family.
Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival.
Jon — who's become a fierce advocate for animals in need after his retirement from TV — recently transformed his and Tracey's sprawling New Jersey property into a Farm Sanctuary, where rescue animals can get a second chance at life.
On May 25, 2016, the Stewarts plan to pick up Lily from a private rehabilitation center and bring her back to Bufflehead Farm.
The @Dodo on Jon & Tracey Stewart's big announcement — and their newly adopted piglets! https://t.co/FCjVxPDtOU http://pic.twitter.com/7xt9CXKSqL
— Farm Sanctuary (@FarmSanctuary) October 27, 2015
"It's an incredible gift," Kelly Smith of the Omega Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Center — the group that rescued Lily — told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Certainly, I don't think we could have planned this or imagined this."
Even better news? The couple decided Lily shouldn't be forced to move away from her new horse friend, Anita. So the Stewarts rescued her, too.
Anita, a neglected horse that's also been on the road to recovery under Smith's care, has bonded and "become very good friends" with Lily. So Jon and Tracey are giving both of them a place to stay on their 12-acre property, which a handful of pigs, dogs, and other furry creatures already call home.
The Stewarts' farm is one of just a few locations across the country operating as an official Farm Sanctuary. The nonprofit houses rescue animals and raises awareness on the alarming, widespread abuses within the factory farm industry.
No animal should have to go through what Lily endured, but it's wonderful to know her story has a happy ending.
And if she ends up getting anything like the VIP treatment Maybelle the pig has received, Lily's got a whole lot to look forward to at Bufflehead Farm.
GIF via CBS This Morning/YouTube.
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