Neglected Horse Rescued From 'Edge of Death' in Orange County

An emaciated horse was rescued this weekend from conditions that can only be described as horrifying.

On Saturday the Hudson Valley SPCA Law Enforcement Division called in volunteers from Pets Alive to assist with a horse that was "hanging on by a shoestring." According to Pets Alive, another house found on the same farm had already died from apparent abuse.

The volunteers were met at a muddy onion field in Goshen by police who directed them to the grisly scene. With no water to drink or grass to graze on, the horse was standing over the body of the other animal who had died the day before. An active electric fence was keeping the horses in the field, which was littered with debris and broken glass. Sadly, just feet away from the horses was a plentiful supply of fresh water and grass that could save their lives, but were out of reach due to the electrified fence.

Pets Alive has plenty of experience dealing with animal abuse, but those on the scene say this particular situation was made even worse by the fact that someone could have easily stepped in to help. Executive Director, Becky Tegz says the owners clearly neglected to care for the horses.

What makes this case that much harder for us to handle is that there is evidence that humans were there watching the two horses starve and suffer.

After being rescued, the horse was named Cailan by the volunteers at Pets Alive. The name means "Warrior of Life" and perfectly describes this animal that was fighting to survive. Cailan was "hundreds of pounds" underweight and had protruding ribs and hip bones.

Pets Alive will be nursing the horse back to health, allowing him to safely gain weight and recover from mistreatment. The animal rescue is asking for help in defraying the cost of the horse's care. Those interested in making a donation can visit the Pets Alive website for more information.

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