Horse - botched home castration
Grainger Co, TN (US)Date: Jan 2006
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
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The search is on for the owners of an injured pony found wandering in Grainger County. Rescuers say the animal is the victim of horrific abuse and are demanding the owners be brought to justice. The pony is now in the intensive care unit at the University of Tennessee's Veterinary Hospital. Veterinarians performed surgery January 26, 2006. Dr. Troy Holder says, "He did lose a lot of blood. We did check his blood values and he is anemic." In Dr. Holder's seven years as a veterinarian, he says he's never seen such a botched procedure. "Unfortunately, who ever was performing the castration accidentally, basically split the penis in half," says Holder.
As for why anyone would want to do this? Nina Margetson, who rescued the horse, thinks it came down to money. "It was very heart-wrenching to know that someone would take it upon themselves to do a medical procedure like that on an animal instead of calling a veterinarian and trying to save themselves a few dollars, by trying to castrate an animal without the knowledge of how to do it." On the pony's behalf, Margetson is working with officials in Grainger County to find the owners and bring them to justice. She says, "There's absolutely no excuse for it whatsoever. This is just bold, blatant cruelty to an animal to take it upon yourself and do something like that."
The good news is, the pony is expected to make a full recovery. Dr. Holder says, "In time, he will basically regenerate blood cells and that will come back up but he's doing really well." The vets will keep the pony at UT's large animal hospital for about five to seven days. They will then turn the horse over to the Horse Haven of Tennessee. Margetson is planning on petitioning the court for permanent custody of the pony. Through Horse Haven, she hopes to eventually make the pony available for adoption. The Grainger County Humane Society is also working with the District Attorney General's Office on the animal abuse charges the owners could face.
If you know who owns the horse, you're encouraged to call the Grainger County Humane Society at (865) 567-0050. If you have information on this case, please contact:
Grainger Co Humane Society
(865) 567-0050
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