Quigley on walkabout. (Low resolution is due to image taken by a good Samaritan from their vehicle.)
When we come across a stray dog or cat most of us know what to do: safely catch, secure and take them to a local animal shelter. But, what if it’s a stray horse? The usual methods for capturing smaller animals don’t apply here. It’s not as straight forward as setting a trap for a cat or placing them in a crate like a dog. So, your first call should be to local law enforcement and it’s in these instances that it’s clear that DEFHR is a vital community resource. Each year we equip over 100 law enforcement professionals with hands-on training, specializing in on-scene handling, containment and/or transportation of large animals. Because of that training, Prince George’s County authorities knew exactly what steps to take when they were alerted about an extremely skinny horse wandering alongside a busy road. When the call came in to us, we were also ready and our emergency response team was dispatched to aid in this stray horse.
YOU are the reason DEFHR is always ready to answer the call for help! YOUR gift of $1,000, $500, $250, $50 ensures we can continue to be ready for future calls! Once safely at DEFHR, Quirky Quigley (named for his roadside "walkabout" with a nod to the movie "Quigley Down Under") shared a story of suffering and neglect—not with words, but through the condition of his body: emaciated, dehydrated, dull, lethargic, battered with cuts and abrasions. Even sadder, he had been found without a halter, and none of the locals recognized him; no one was missing him. Yet, it was his fighting spirit that compelled him to break free from his previous situation in search of help, ultimately leading him into our care. Refeeding an exhausted, starving horse, whose teeth were in such poor condition that he was unable to chew hay had its challenges. While monitoring Quigley around the clock for the first few days due to his unstable vitals, we offered him small, frequent meals of soaked, finely chopped forage. After two weeks of critical care, when we normally would expect him to stabilize and start improving, he suffered a setback with an unexplained infection. Continuous veterinary care, a dental floatation, as well as medication for painful stomach ulcers that had been caused by his prolonged starvation, put him back on the road to recovery. Soon we got to know a much brighter version of Quigley!