Methuen, Mass., March, 27, 2015 – “Emaciated, dispirited and depressed” is how the MSPCA-Nevins Farm team described an elderly horse surrendered to its Methuen facility on Monday, in what has been an unprecedented period of animal surrenders that have severely strained space and financial resources at the farm.
“Flora,” as the 30-year-old Standard bred horse rescued from the Merrimack Valley by the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement team has been named, arrived severely emaciated and covered in infected sores. “She’s one of the saddest sights we’ve seen in a long time,” said Melissa Ghareeb, equine and farm center manager for Nevins Farm. “And she’s going to require a great deal of care in the weeks ahead.”
Ghareeb is hoping that once Flora is well enough to be re-homed, the right adopter will step forward.
Overwhelming Number of Surrendered Animals
Flora is one of eight horses—all of whom are suffering from various health issues—surrendered in just the last ten days. And Ghareeb and her team are struggling to keep pace. “We typically receive 10 to 15 horses in the first three months of the year but we’ve taken in 13 in the last three weeks, with more on the way. It’s very difficult to house the animals while also scrambling to find permanent homes.
The MSPCA has established a donation page for anyone who wishes to contribute to Flora’s veterinary care, which will exceed $1,000. Readers can click www.mspca.org/helpflora to donate in support of Flora and animals like her.
Flora arrived with her back covered in open sores and with an ulcerated left eye that will require medical treatment. Moreover, she had been continuously bred by a stallion stabled with her, leaving her broken in both body and spirit. “This is a horse who raced for years, was cherished by children who grew up riding her and who deserves to live out her remaining years in a safe and healthy environment,” said Ghareeb. “We will do all we can to make that happen for her.”
Ghareeb and her team must also endure the constant struggle of having too many surrendered animals, many of whom suffering from medical issues, with limited space. “We only have 22 stalls in the barn—it’s very tight,” she said.
Winter is an especially difficult time for horse owners because, with the ground covered by snow, the horses do not have access to pasture grazing to supplement their diet, leading to owners having to spend much more money on hay.
Ghareeb has made an urgent appeal to adopters to take in one or more horses. For more information about horse adoption at the MSPCA readers can click here.