Todays Video of Baby New Year...our New Years' Eve starvation surrender...
Just a normal Tuesday afternoon or so I thought!
On Tuesday afternoon around 4 as I was heading home from visiting my mom in the hospital I received a call from Jo Deibel of Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue. She had been contacted by a young man named Tom. Upon the recommendation of the ladies at The Mill of Hereford he had contacted Jo re a neglected and starving thoroughbred at a farm on Mt. Carmel Rd. He needed someone to come immediately as he didn’t think the mare was going to make it. Tom has been working for the last several weeks to convince the owners to do the right thing and give the horse to someone who could help care for the mare.
Jo was tied up in Pa. and ironically I was on 83 just shy of the Mt Carmel Rd. exit when she called and asked me to help. Tom and I connected via cell phone and he met me at the property. What I saw was by far the worst living situation for people and animals. I had no idea that conditions like that could ever exist especially within 10 minutes of my house.
We found the mare in the back of what was laughingly called a pasture- a muddy lot/wooded area with probably 8 other ponies and all were eating horse poop. The ponies looked a bit better than this mare but their long shaggy hair and muddy legs covered them up. The mare in my estimate was a 2 (Jo said later I was way too generous) on a body mass scale and seemed depressed. She is probably about 15.2, bay with a very sweet face with bones sticking out everywhere. Tom just put a blanket on her that day. I couldn’t tell her age real well due to her condition but she had ulcers in her mouth. Tom told me the other horse had died a week ago and that he convinced them to surrender the horse as it was going to die too.
I called everyone I knew as the Angel Acres Trucks (all 2 of them) are broken down right now. We needed a trailer fast before these folks changed their mind and the horse died. Thankfully Connie, my neighbor, responded. We spent 30 minutes trying to get her loaded. Right when we just about got her on the owner decided that we “weren’t takin’ her horse tonight- the son in law would take her in the morning.”
Beyond frustration and covered in mud Connie and I left but Tom continued to make sure they lived up to their word.
Yesterday morning I got a call while in the CCU with my mom from Tom who said the horse was loaded up and they wanted to know where to go. We made arrangements for Patty (Jo’s rescue partner) to meet them at the Rutter’s on Middletown Rd. and then they followed to the Angel Acres Farm. Jim, the son in law, gave Jo the horse’s papers and she then learned they had the horse for 2 years.
Her name is now Baby New Year- she is 19. Apparently she was “given” to these folks 2 yrs ago after having a foal at age 17. She is by Nostrum and probably was lovely when in good condition.
Angel Acres is working to bring her back to health. She could be a very nice companion horse when her health indicates she is ready. She has been evaluated by Dr. Trevor Wells and we are awaiting his report.
Animal Control visited the site. As of last Saturday we understand that their vet had put 2 of the ponies down due to neglect and malnutrition.
Last Updated January 10, 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment