Anna Caplan
They converged on Ford Park, a multipurpose venue in Beaumont, and the scene for many celebrations past.
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But the veterinarians, vet techs and other volunteers weren’t there to party:
They came there to save the horses stranded by Harvey.
Starved and suffering debilitating skin problems amongst other traumas, more than 150 horses were treated there in a triage-like staging area, where caretakers were able to get a first look at the injuries they suffered during and after the storm.
“A lot of these horses had to paddle in water or stand in water for anywhere from multiple hours to days,” Dr. Nick Moore, of Georgetown, said in an interview.
Once people learned of the location, they came from all over the country, and the spirit of the park became joyous once again:
“At first it was just chaos, and we were short on supplies,” Moore continued. “And, all of a sudden, people started pouring in from everywhere. We had teenage girls that drove in from Kentucky, people from Florida, veterinarians from Wisconsin. … And you can see the amount of the supplies that have been donated.”
With bales of hay and thousands of dollars of donated medical supplies in tow, volunteers showed up to save the horses.
Once stabilized, the horses were transferred to larger animal clinics, like the facilities at Texas A&M.
RELATED: A man and his son save a horse trapped by Hurricane Harvey floods
The results were overwhelmingly good, but, sadly, a few of the horses couldn’t be saved.
“We only lost four horses, which is pretty much miraculous considering the shape they were coming in,” Moore said.
If you need or would like to help around Houston, read more here.
