Haley was rescued from her pasture Sunday, September 17th 2017 in a small town called Rebel City in Sampson County, NC. We received a call the night before about a horse with possible eye injury, it was already dark so we waited until the next morning to go check it out. When we arrived the pasture was completely over grown and the house on the property was clearly vacant, with piles of trash and over grown grass. We stepped over the electric fence that clearly wasn’t hot and hadn’t been for a while. We began to smell something awful, Haley a beautiful white horse was approaching us. Her face was covered with a fly mask but the smell made it apparent this injury wasn’t recent. Haley’s mask had to be cut from her mane to get it off. Upon taking it off we knew immediately she had to come with us, she needed serious medical attention and fast.
Haley was loaded on the trailer and taken to Nicole’s farm (LMHR Adoption Coordinator) and satellite facility for the rescue Dr. B. GARRETT quickly met us. As soon as he saw her he told us this was no injury, this was cancer, Haley’s entire eye had already been destroyed along with surrounding tissue. A biopsy was done to confirm. Results confirmed “Squamous Cell Carcinoma”.
Haley had been suffering for a minimum of 6 to 8 months. Because the wound/cancer was left untreated for so long it was not treatable, there was no hope for recovery, the Cancer had spread. Sadly, her owner had chosen to ignore Haley’s growing tumor and covered it with a mask. It began to eat away at her flesh and bone. No treatment, no compassion. Her owner then chose to abandon Haley, took her personal belongings and move to Nevada. Haley was alone for a week before we received the call. She was had been suffering for months, she would have died a long painful death.
Haley was loved and treated with the compassion she deserved for the 2 weeks she had with us. Haley crossed the rainbow bridge to heaven peacefully on Saturday September 30th 2017 surrounded by several people who in the two weeks she was with us, loved her very much.
We as morale compassionate beings must come together and make animal cruelty laws tougher, stronger. We must close the loop holes that make excuses for abuse and neglect of horses and other animals. As you can see reading some of the NC statutes for Animal cruelty, there are many loop holes for continued abuse and neglect of an animal, especially horses which are still considered livestock and should not be considered livestock.
http://www.ncdoj.gov/Crime/Report-Animal-Cruelty.aspx
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_14/Article_47.pdf
| § 14-360. Cruelty to animals; construction of section.
NC General Statutes – Chapter 14 Article 47 1 Article 47. Cruelty to Animals. § 14-360. Cruelty to animals; construction of section. (a) If any person shall … |
| Report Animal Cruelty – NCDOJ
Report Animal Cruelty Cruelty toward animals is illegal under North Carolina law. You can report animals experiencing physical harm under the care of an individual … |
