News: Animal Neglect on Long Island
(Long Island, N.Y.) Dozens of horses and other animals were rescued by Suffolk County’s Society for the Prevention of the Cruelty of Animals from a farm in foreclosure. Some of the animals were found emaciated, and rescuers are unsure whether they will survive. The owner of the property has not been charged.
Rescuers from the Suffolk County SPCA were forced to break a padlock where two horses were locked in a barn without food or water. One of the horses had been so far reduced that it needed help eating after being rescued. Some of the rescuers wondered how they were able to find the animals alive.
The Suffolk County SPCA is not affiliated with the Manhattan-based ASPCA but it runs a program known as the Equine Rescue Collaborative (ERC). The program rescues horses that have been physically or psychologically abused and neglected. It provides the animals with rehabilitation, retraining, retirement, and replacement.
The place in question in the case of the neglected animals is located in Calverton and known as Abbess Farm. Some of the animals were found loose in a fenced field. Rescuers hypothesize that the animals survived by grazing on grass and drinking water from puddles and a nearby spring.
Two dozen horses were rescued in addition to ponies, sheep, goats, and pigs. They had suffered from being abandoned, malnourished, starved, and dehydrated. Some of the horses were taken in and cared for by an organization known as Second Chance Rescue, and some were placed in other programs. Hillcrest Stables, located on Middle Road in Riverhead, took in three of the horses which were found in the worst conditions.
One horse, a chestnut gelding, had been severely emaciated and had suffered the most. Veterinarians were called to help nurse the animals to health before they have to undergo rehabilitation. Though some of them were put into foster care, the animals need to get healthy before they can be taken in by new owners.
The Suffolk County SPCA is currently seeking homes for the animals and investigating the case. SPCA officers were first notified of the neglected animals by the Riverhead Town Police. A court-appointed attorney who had been handling the property had reported the barn to police and gave permission to animal law enforcement to search the property. Reports stated that the owner of the property relinquished the animals to the SPCA.
Reports also stated that one of the horses couldn’t eat because its teeth needed to be trimmed by a veterinarian dentist. A pony couldn’t walk because its hooves had grown out while it had been confined, making it extremely painful to get around. Another pony had suffered from an eye injury.
Some sources claimed that horses had escaped from the property on two different occasions. In the first instance, the horses were found on a nearby golf course, and in the following instance they were discovered on a median of the Long Island Expressway near Exit 73. The owner had allegedly been issued summons.
The Human Organization Representing Suffering Equines (H.O.R.S.E.) is a Connecticut-based program that deals with similar cases. The Suffolk County SPCA is currently accepting donations on its website, and those interested can contribute through PayPal. Also, volunteer veterinarians and equine dentists are needed in addition to food and feeding supplies.
