TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s a story that touched hearts across the country in 2024. It’s been a year since the Eastside community lost Sunny, the horse whose owner says tragically died after an overwhelming amount of stress caused by Fourth of July fireworks.
I sat down with the owner, Holly Hansen, who is not only reflecting on the past year, but also hoping no other animal or pet has to go through the same thing.
There’s not a day that goes by, Hansen says, that she doesn’t think about Sunny. She owned the platinum palomino Tennessee Walker for almost 20 years.
“Every time I come out to feed my horses, I see the spot that she collapsed and died. I pass by it, and it never gets easier. It really doesn’t, you know, maybe one day it will," Hansen shared.
Last Fourth of July, Hansen says neighbors set off illegal aerial fireworks for about eight hours.
“Her death was so traumatic to me and preventable," said Hansen. "And so, that’s what stayed with me, is that this was preventable.”
Before the fireworks began, Hansen described Sunny as healthy and strong.
“It was sort of this extremely helpless feeling as the fireworks continued and I noticed that she was really responding poorly.”
Hansen says that since KGUN9 aired Sunny's tragic story, she has received so much compassion. Some people even share similar experiences with her. Others questioned why she didn’t sedate Sunny.
“What I know, because I am a lifelong horse person, I've had horses my entire life, I've worked with them professionally, for over 30 years, is that there is no training that can desensitize a horse to fireworks," said Hansen. "Sedation has its own side effects of creating them to be less mobile, but their mind is still active. It's not always as easy as some people might think.”
After Sunny died, Hansen’s goal was to meet with city officials to push for stricter fireworks regulations.
"We spoke with federal, city, and state officials who were all extremely compassionate and gave us their time with meetings," said Hansen. "Where it's gone? I don't really know. Nothing's changed yet.”
Still, Hansen is not giving up.
Hansen has a horse named Big T, who was present for Sunny’s death. She says he experienced his own grief. While Sunny is irreplaceable, Hansen has a new addition to her family, River.
“We did get a new horse because my other horse needed a friend and a buddy. They are herd animals. They need each other. They don't do well alone. And he's actually brought a lot of joy. But it was tough for me to buy another horse. I didn't want to," said Hansen.
She encourages people to enjoy the holiday, but to do it safely for the sake of animals and people with PTSD.
“I want people to remember Sunny's life but also her death and come at it not to take any freedoms away, but to remember that with freedom comes responsibility and the responsibility to obey laws, the responsibility to be compassionate and safe," said Hansen.
Hansen tells me that community members will share how much Sunny impacted their lives. Hansen is a psychotherapist who practices equine psychotherapy, in which Sunny would participate.
“Sunny wasn't only my horse and my companion for 20 years, but she was a healer not only to me, but to many," shared Hansen. "I worked with her and she helped many trauma survivors heal and feel safe again.”
Hansen says she will spend the Fourth of July at home with her loved ones, horses, and dog as she does every year.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
