Severely emaciated horses rescued in Mercer County, volunteers need assistance

KENTUCKY -- Two weeks ago, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office asked Laura Sullivan to take in three stallions that were discovered on a Mercer County Farm in extremely poor conditions.

“It was gut wrenching, it was absolutely gut wrenching. It was like being kicked in the stomach. You just didn’t know what you were looking at,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan owns horses of her own, and volunteers as a wildlife rescue in the county. She typically rescues animals such as raccoons and possum but never horses. Sullivan says when the stallions were brought to her farm; they each had a hard time walking and were barely able to stand.

“I just shook my head-how are these animals still living?,” Sullivan said.

But Sullivan says she couldn’t turn down the sheriff’s office when they asked if she would care for the stallions temporarily.

“They needed to move them immediately because they knew they were in dire shape and they just came to me for help and there was no way I was turning them away,” Sullivan said.

 

And now although Sullivan says the horses are doing much better than they were two weeks ago, they still need quite a bit of care, something she just doesn’t have the resources to do—so she is turning to fundraisers to help her with that.

“They are much more needing and demanding as far as hay, bedding, veterinarian bills,” Sullivan said.

And while Sullivan hopes to find a home for the stallions as soon as possible, the sheriff’s office says because it is an open case, right now it is up to the court to determine where those stallions will be placed.

“I think the sheriff will work very closely with us because he knows I cannot keep them much longer,” Sullivan said.

A Gofundme page is set up for the horses. Sullivan says all proceeds raised from the page will go directly to care for the stallions.

Sullivan is also holding a tack sale and bake sale on August 29th at 729 North Greenville St. Harrodsburg, Ky. The money from the fundraiser will go directly to care for the horses.

Anyone interested in fostering the horses should call the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office didn’t release the name of the person responsible for neglecting the horses, but did tell us they have been charged with animal cruelty. The sheriff’s office says it was a situation that got out of the person’s hands who is responsible.

(WKYT - Aug 19, 2015)