SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Five emaciated horses were rescued Thursday morning, according to the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
A thoroughbred gelding, a filly, a paint mare and one buckskin with a young foal were found in poor conditions in a field near the east Everglades, off 208th Avenue and 148th Street.
The horses were located after someone made an anonymous call.
The buckskin and its young foal were in the worst condition and will need critical care, according to the SFSPCA.
Officials said the animals were abandoned in the field with no food or shelter.
“She’s anatomy specimen. You can see, you know, every bone in her body, the hip bone, the bone here, how it comes down to here,” said Laurie Waggoner of the South Florida SPCA about the buckskin and her foal. “She’s in such bad condition that if she’s not monitored daily, she could die.”
One of the horses had a lip tattoo and another was in such bad shape that it couldn’t even stand on its own.
“Her back should be level; she should have several inches of fat along her spine,” Waggoner said.
Though it seems all five horses will survive despite nearly starving to death, Waggoner said the horses still have a long road to recovery ahead of them.
“If you see something, say something,” said Waggoner. “These horses obviously have been out there for a very long time, and we didn’t hear about them until yesterday. If somebody hadn’t seen them and called, they would have starved to death out there.”
It could take about three to four months for the horses to make a full recovery.
If you would like more information about the SFSPCA, click here.
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