Second Texas animal rescue response in two weeks saves 150 horses
One of the 150 horses rescued from a property in Texas in an alleged large-scale cruelty case. All the animals have now been transported to a safe, secure location where they are receiving veterinary care and will begin their long road to recovery. Photo by Meredith Lee/HSUS
With many of our Animal Rescue Team members still in Killeen, Texas caring for the nearly 200 cats we rescued there less than two weeks ago in an alleged neglect case, other HSUS responders went to another property in Texas on Thursday rescuing approximately 150 equines—including horses, mini-horses and donkeys—in an alleged large-scale cruelty case.
Sinking into inches of thick mud and grime, amidst the foul smell of excessive animal waste, our Animal Rescue Team members accompanied law enforcement officials who entered the 45-acre property in Camp County, Texas in the early morning Thursday. Since then, our team has been assisting the Camp County Sheriff’s Office and the Safe Haven Equine Rescue and Retirement Home, helping to remove and care for the horses.
The majority of the animals appeared severely underweight, with ribs and hip bones protruding sharply, and many were found together in overcrowded pens, deprived of their most basic needs. One responder commented that several looked like “walking skeletons.” Our team and partners worked in the hot Texas sun and slippery pens of mud and filth to safely load the horses onto transport vehicles and launch them on the next stage in their journey to a better life.
The animals were transported to a safe, secure location. There, the horses are receiving veterinary care and assessment. Many of the horses appear to have been denied proper nourishment, and they will have a long road to recovery ahead.
We are thankful to Camp County Sheriff’s Office for answering the call to help these gentle creatures, but most of all, we are thankful that these horses will now be able to rest in a clean, dry place with proper hay and nourishment.
I’m pleased to relate that, in the midst of a difficult and disturbing situation, our colleagues were buoyed by one truly beautiful sign of hope. Among the horses on site, responders noticed a mother with a baby estimated to be only a few days old. While both were extremely thin and looked to be in poor condition, the bond and the love between them was clear. That bond, and that love, will get a chance to flourish in a new and wonderful way now.
The Humane Society of the United States thanks the Alex and Elisabeth Lewyt Charitable Trust for offering to match a portion of donations received from other contributors to support the care and supplies needed for the rescued animals. If you’d like to donate, we’d be grateful. We’ve got our hands full in Texas just now, but we’re already looking forward to the next rescue, and we’ll be able to do even more for animals with your support.
That looks like a ghost of a horse – I am so disgusted with humans who do this …
Words cannot express
Thank you for helping them- no more suffering
He’s doing much better now, thanks to continual care and feeding. He’s even bonded with another yearling, and they stay close together. He’s very sweet!
The same treatment should be given to the people responsible for this extreme neglect. Maybe if there were harsher punishments in place, these people might think twice about the lives they’re taking or destroying.
Esto ya no puede seguir pasando tenemos que hacer algo para salvar a miles de caballitos
I would like to know if i donate does it go to this particular rescue only or a general fund?
Are they up for adoption?
The government and BLM ready to launch another helicopter roundup of our wild horses and burros. They chase them down and many goals and older horses cannot keep up so they either die of exhaustion or are shot. They round them up and put them in holding pens where if not adopted by public they are auctioned off where kill buyers buy them for slaughter.A new law was just passed for no slaughtering but some still are bought and sold for Mexico and Canada who slaughter and sell meat to Japan and other countries for human consumption and dog food. They use the by-products-horse intestines and hooves in our dog food so watch for by-products label on dog foods if you own a dog. Please get on BLM – Bureau of Land Management website and you will see a link for adoption and schedules and sites for adoption. When the horses are rounded up they are put in overcrowded pens where they try to get out to get back to their families and are hurting themselves and others. These injured horses are then shot. There are a few trustworthy horse rescue sanctuaries who adopt from BLM and provide veterinary care,food,water, and loving hands to help heal as they are scared, confused, heartbroken. Horses live in family bands as you probably know. So they too are heartbroken from separations. When they are rounded up they separate foals from mates and mates and goals separated from the stallions. If any seem aggressive trying to get to family are shot. Please lookup up WHE Wild Horse Education. These people are reputable in their k helping the horses and educating the public on what is happening. A woman -Laura Leigh is a photographer and founder of WHE. You can also look up Skydog Horse Sanctuary as Clare ( I forgot her last name) is the founder and buys BLM injured horses before they are shot and takes them to her 9000 acre ranch she just purchased for the rescue and safe haven for these poor beautiful horses. All personnel are volunteers and is a non-profit organization. I beg you if you have the land and love for these horses to check out websites and adopt from BLM as the ones not adopted face living in pens til death. Thank you Melanie Miller. misslilybush@yahoo.com if I can help you in anyway. GOD bless you in your interest and endeavors in adoption
THANK ALL that gave these animals hope AND a chance to know life is good
I love the work you are doing and try to read everything you send. Thank heavens you have discovered that ranch in Texas and hopefully will find good homes for all those poor horses.
I would like to put a plug in for something more for your attention if you haven’t already addressed it; and that is the plight of the orangutans in Indonesia. As I understand it, they are losing their lives and habitat drastically as the natives turn over their land for crops for the manufacture of fuel oil, lipstick, and chocolate which are highly desirable on the world market. These crops are their major source of income. I feel for both the people and the animals!
Thank you for whatever you can do,
Sincerely,
Sybil Sloan
The neglect and abuse of these horses is heartbreaking- but why is the HSUS not against horse racing, an industry where literally thousands of Thoroughbreds end up in kill pens looking just like these horses?
Bless you for the work you do. DONATED.
I am in Central Texas and would be willing to adopt a Jenny to run with my small group of cattle – She will have all she can eat and guard duty over a handful of calves this Spring which they usually enjoy.
it hurts to look at this poor horse
That is terrible. When they are that young and have been starved, they won’t develop properly, no matter what you do. They will have all kinds of bone, joint, hoof, etc problems. I am so sorry for them.
that is horrible what happens to all animals abuse and neglect if you get an animal and can’t take care of it then give it to someone who will.
amen