Deputy Stands Up for Neglected Horses
- Quarter Horse Grulla Dun Mare
- Entry Date – 5/16/18 at Age 20
- Type of Rescue – Surrender to Marion County Sheriff’s Department
- Reason – Chronic Neglect
- Special Needs – None
On May 12, 2018, we received a phone call from a sheriff’s deputy in Marion County. He said he was calling to see what the Oregon Hay Bank was all about because he was called to a property where two horses had been kept in deplorable conditions for years. They were in a pen, not fed, and their water was filthy dirty. Any feed they were receiving came from concerned neighbors. They had been in these pens for five years with no hoof care. He said, “they are not in good shape.”
After clarifying the Hay Bank’s mission, which is a program of the Equamore Foundation providing temporary feed, vet care, and/or hoof care to responsible horse owners experiencing a temporary financial set back, it was clear that the owners would not qualify for assistance. The deputy felt that getting the owner to surrender the horses was the best route to take as the conditions were bad and they probably were not going to change.
As most counties, including Marion County, have no facilities to house large animals that are seized or surrendered to law enforcement, Equamore Sanctuary opened its gate once again. The deputy went immediately to the property and told the owners that unless they surrender the horses the sheriff’s department would prosecute. The owner said that he didn’t want to give the horses up, but if that was what he had to do, he would do it. Transportation was arranged immediately and Belle and her pen mate, Bobby Socks, were transported to the Sanctuary.
Belle, at twenty years of age, was not as thin as Bobby who was five years her senior, but her feet were also in desperate need of some care.
She is gracious, polite, and extraordinarily considerate of the people that care for her and lead her to and from the field each day. After Bobby’s passing in July of 2022, Belle formed a new friendship with Johnny Boy, and they spend their nights in side-by-side stalls in the long barn and their days grazing and exercising in the “couple’s field” together.
Silver Belle Still Needs $335 Monthly To Be Fully Sponsored.
Scroll Down to Sponsor Silver Belle.
Here is how you can help:
- Join an already established rescue team with a monthly contribution level that is comfortable for you.
- Become a “Team Captain” by collectively organizing your friends and relatives to join you in sponsoring one
of Equamore’s residents. - Pledge $450 monthly to fully support an equine of your choice.
If you would like to join this crucial program, please contact us for more information.
