Teo Martinez is known as the Hidalgo County Cowboy. His mission is to recue animals in need. It’s been his life’s work for the last 20 years.
Martinez said Wednesday’s horse rescue is one of the worst cases of animal cruelty he’s ever seen. “He's very skinny. He's losing hair and he was thirsty too,” Martinez said.
When Martinez went to pick up the horse, an Hidalgo County Sheriff’s deputy was waiting.
Deputies are now searching for whoever left the animal to die along a rural road in La Villa.
Martinez said the horse was left with “no water, just the grass and that’s it.”
The cowboy took the animal to his makeshift rescue center in Mercedes. He estimates the horse’s weight at about 400 pounds.
“His size and everything, very healthy horse, he can get to 1,000 pounds,” Martinez said.
Martinez said the horse is a walking skeleton right now. He said the horse is also dehydrated.
“I opened the faucet wide open, and I put in the bucket of five gallons of water right there. He spent, like, no less than 15 to 20 minutes drinking water,” Martinez said.
The cowboy said it’s his job to try and get the horse back into shape. For this severe case of animal abuse, Martinez said he has hope.
Martinez said he takes care of the animals out of the kindness of his heart. He pays for all expenses.
He said he wouldn’t like to give the horse back to its owners. However, authorities will decide whether or not to return animals to their owners.
Martinez said people who see livestock animals in bad shape should notify authorities first. Once that’s done, he said they can give him a call. His number is 956-246-7339.
The cowboy doesn’t take any cash donations, but he does take food donations for the animals.
(KRGV - May 19, 2016)
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