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September 15, 2012

Seized horses start road to recovery

James Bright The Express-Star

GRADY COUNTY — It's a sad sign of our times, but it is incredibly common to see stories about animals sized from their owners for neglect. People cheer the police for their efforts and rejoice in the fact that the animals were saved, but after few stories the animals are never heard from again. They are typically fostered and adopted out, but the true joy of their story is never told. Several of the horses sized in a raid last month in Lindsay will break this trend.

A woman in north eastern Oklahoma named Sirena called The Express-Star office last week exclaiming that she read our story and is fostering several of the horses. She asked her last name and official location be left unknown for the protection of the horses.

"They are doing fabulous and getting spoiled rotten," she said.

The Tulsa SPCA confirmed Sirena is fostering five of the sized animals right now and will receive four more this weekend.

"They are brush hogs," she said. "They love to be brushed.

Spokesperson for the Tulsa SPCA Ashley Long said all of the horses that were sized are in foster homes.

"Eight of the 20 are in forever homes, while the rest will maintain their status at foster homes until their forever homes open up," she said. "Eight more horses will arrive soon after undergoing some training."

Sirena said the animals she is fostering have taken a liking to her 5-year-old daughter.

"It took them three days to come up to me, but they took to her (Sirena's daughter) instantly," she said.

Despite the terrible conditions she came from, one of the horses - an Appaloosa female - is four months pregnant. Sirena said she plans on keeping the Appaloosa, her offspring and a donkey also seized from the raid.

"We are definitely adopting the donkey," she said. "She is doing her job so well. If our dogs get too close to the horses she chases them away."

Long said the SPCA is still working with some of the animals, so they are properly prepared to socialize with other animals and humans.

"The animals  are doing pretty good," Long said. "We are kind of socializing them and teaching them that peopled are good and they're not going to hurt them."

The animals are putting some weight back on according to Long and after the SPCA's recent veterinarian examination all of the animals medically sound.

The SPCA's socialization methods are working well when it comes to the animals Sirena is fostering. She said the Appaloosa female has taken a real shine to her husband.

"She's madly in love with my husband," she said.

Sirena's family as a whole have really taken to the animals. She said she told her daughter she could keep one if she helps out with the chores.

"She's out there everyday with a shovel that is bigger than her cleaning up after them," Sirena said.

For now, Sirena and her family will continue to foster the horses with hopes of adopting a few to keep for themselves.

This is the first piece in a monthly series. Over the next 10 months we will be printing an update on the Appaloosa female and her offspring as well as the other animals adopted by Sirena.

Lauren Carter contributed to this story.

 

 

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