Rescue Stories

Panhandle Equine Rescue assisted Escambia County Animal Control by taking in three mares that were seized from a property in Century, FL. All horses were thin; two of them were emaciated. The owner of the black filly, who is called Lisa, was located. The owner of the two roans has been identified, but has not been located yet. We will call them Grace and Hope. It will be a long road for all three of them, but with our wonderful volunteers and donors, we are sure they will be showered with lots of love and plenty of proper nutrition to give them a new start in life. If you would like to donate or sponsor, send your tax deductible contribution to P.E.R., P.O. Box 777, Cantonment, FL 32533 or you may use paypal on our website; www.panhandleequinerescue.org

Pretty Boy

Rolla

Miss Penny

Junior

Firecracker

In December 2007, five horses were rescued out of a group of 14 horses. These five were the worst. Four more were boarded there and the owner has picked them up. Rolla and Pretty Boy are Standardbreds that were once raced on the track (pulling a cart). The others, Miss Penny, Junior and Firecracker are Tennessee Walkers. There are still five horses left and they are being monitored very closely by PER investigators. The owner of these horses voluntarily surrendered the five to avoid going to court and possibly losing the others. We feel that he had too many horses to be able to give them all the care they needed because of a financial hardship and not having enough barn space and turnout. We hope that by working with him, he’ll be able to keep the ones he has left. Time will tell.

03/31/08 Update: Pretty Boy was adopted by L. Barden of Pensacola.

06/22/08 Update: Junior has been adopted by A. Harris of Cantonment, FL

10/22/08 Update: Rolla has been adopted by the Radcliff’s of Molino, FL.

12/01/08 Update: Firecracker was adopted by the DeGraafs of Cantonment, FL.

12/08/13 Update: Miss Penny was adopted by the Manrings of Crestview, FL.

The Santa Rosa 13 On June 16, 2007, a Santa Rosa County man voluntarily surrendered 13 Tennessee Walking horses to Panhandle Equine Rescue when he could not meet court-ordered compliances. These horses had never been handled, vaccinated, de-wormed, or had their hooves trimmed in at least three years. The horses were discovered by neighbors after some of them escaped their pasture in search of water and food. Two stallions were kept separate by tying them on short tethers, one to the bumper of a truck, and the other to a stake in the ground. Their halters have left permanent indentations in their faces.

Gideon was seized by Panhandle Rescue cruelty investigators in May 2007 in Escambia County. He was living in a chicken coop without adequate food or water. He was covered in lice and suffered wounds from the chickens pecking at him. It took a long time for Gideon to finally allow some people to touch him. His owner was tried and prosecuted for animal cruelty.

Trigger, a.k.a. Papa Pugh, was rescued after he was abandoned for years on a large amount of acreage to fend for himself. A concerned man took it upon himself to feed the pony 3-4 times a week, but after the pony started having drainage from his ear, he decided to call PER. We contacted the owner, who surrendered the pony. We took him to the vet who diagnosed him as having a severe ear infection. His ear canal had completely grown over and his prognosis was not good. We had him operate anyway to try to save him and the operation was successful. He was treated daily with antibiotics and his ear had to be flushed daily, but he has made a full recovery. He is thriving!

In March 2008 PER was awarded custody in a civil case that involved two horses, two donkeys, and one mule that were being forced to live in deplorable conditions in Molino. They were standing in water, mud and manure in a junkyard. They were also reported as roaming at large on several occasions. After working with the owner for over a year, conditions only became worse, so the animals were seized. 05/08/08 UPDATE: Thunder was adopted by Ms. Johnson of Pensacola, FL. 09/07/08 Update: Solama has been adopted by the Johnson’s of Flomaton, AL!

On January 29, 2008 PER rescued a 5 month old colt from a horrible situation, in which he was hanging from the rafters of a dark, filthy barn by a makeshift “sling”. The owner thought she was helping the colt by getting it off of an injured leg. She failed to get proper medical care, so the colt was left alone the majority of the day and all night, hoisted up by “come alongs” without access to food and water. Investigators received an anonymous tip about the colt and advised the owner to contact a veterinarian immediately. She did, but the attending vet’s hands were tied, since the owner advised her that she could not afford the radiographs needed to do a complete examination. The owner voluntarily surrendered the colt to investigators and he was immediately taken to the vet where he was hospitalized. The attending vet said the colt wouldn’t have lasted another day in the conditions he was living in. He was emaciated, dehydrated, anemic, lice and parasite infested and had several pressure sores from the makeshift “belly straps” that he was forced to stay in for several days. Also, his “privates” were so swollen from the pressure of the bands, he couldn’t properly urinate. The vet did radiographs on his leg and did not find anything broken or fractured. There was nothing to indicate that his joint was affected either. His lameness was caused by a severe case of cellulitis which came from his pressure wounds becoming infected and not being treated. His pressure wounds were caused by laying down so much, because of the cold temperatures and lack of nutrition. The owner of the colt was arrested on 2-25-08. Iris Rose Fortner, of Cantonment, faces felony animal cruelty charges.

Panhandle Equine rescued two horses April 11, 2008 after working with the owner for four months. Conditions never improved, so investigators were forced to take action. The horses were reported on two occasions roaming at large on Hwy. 168 in Century. They were also not being fed properly. The owner voluntarily surrendered the horses. No charges have been filed. The horses are Arabians: a mare called Raven and her colt called Racer.   07/18/08 UPDATE: Raven has been diagnosed with “Grade 2 Ulcers” and experiences pain on a daily basis. She has been started on an oral paste that must be given daily. One tube costs $33.00. She must receive this medicine for 28 days. Raven’s expenses have added up to almost $1,200. 01/12/09 UPDATE: Raven is doing much better. She has some mild pain sometimes, but it doesn’t last long and she works through it on her own without any medications. Raven and Racer are currently up for adoption; see them on the adoption page 07/09/09 UPDATE: A horse, a donkey, four goats and two pigs were seized from the same property; this time the owners are facing animal cruelty charges;

On January 13th, 2009, Dee Dee was surrendered by her owner, along with another mare, Carmella. She was very weak and had “gotten down” and wouldn’t get up, according to her owner, so he hung her in a sling to “help her stand”. When we rescued her, she was weak, emaciated and had a thick green discharge coming from her nose. We took her straight to the vet, who diagnosed her with a sinus infection. She was put on antibiotics for two weeks, but her nose was still running. The vet found it necessary to insert a catheder so her sinuses could be flushed twice a day. The catheder would not stay put, so the vet had to surgically insert the catheder in order to keep it in place. After several days of continued flushing, Dee Dee’s drainage finally cleared up. She was placed in a great foster home, where she bonded with another miniature horse and she remained there until she was adopted on December 5th, 2009 by Alice Crum of Havana, FL. She went to a great forever home! Carmella was adopted on 6-27-09 by Werner Maucher of Molino, FL. Update on Dee Dee PER recently received an email from Dee Dee’s adoptive mom, Alice: Well, we are finally back at the house from the show. Dee Dee was a big hit! I wish I had a nickel for everyone who ooohed and aahed over her. She did look absolutely awesome in the ring…the picture does not do her justice. When she trots she holds her head up and lifts those little front feet and just goes. Everyone was all over her. She placed First out of three in the Pony Halter Class…she even beat out a breeding stallion that someone brought. I really didn’t think we would place over him, but we did. Then they had an Open Mares class. I figured that was a throw-away, what with it being all Quarter Horses and this one little tiny mare. But she did just awesome. First out of eight. I am so proud of her. She really stepped up to the plate and did a good job. Everyone wants her to come back……we definitely will. Alice Crum

On March 21, 2009, Panhandle Equine investigators seized two horses from a Cantonment property due to neglect. One horse, known as Shawn was emaciated and the other horse; Two Stripes was also very thin. The owner of the property stated that they were under the care of Clay and Katherine Bell and he very seldom saw them come out to feed. He was very concerned for the welfare of the horses, in addition to three cows that were also on his property and relied on the Bells for food. Clay and Katherine Bell were charged and prosecuted on two counts of confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise.

On May 3rd, 2009, just after delivering her foal, a donkey was shot and killed in a Cantonment pasture. Thankfully, her baby survived the ordeal, but was left alone and without his mother. The owners were notified by the sheriffs department that night and they quickly located the orphaned foal and began bottle feeding him. Since their lives were so very busy, they found that they would not be able to care for him as needed and donated him to PER. He was named J.B. (short for Jacks Branch Rd., where he lived). He became a national celebrity in a very short time. He was taken to a local vet clinic by PER, where tests were run and it was determined that he had not received adequate colostrum from his mother, so he had to receive the necessary antibodies via IV. There was not a guarantee that he would survive, but with round the clock care from his foster mom, PER volunteer, Lindley Barden, he pulled through. Lindley adopted J.B., who she now calls Burrito. He is thriving and growing like a weed! Kyle Driver, a 17 yr. old juvenile was arrested and charged with animal cruelty, along with several other charges. To Read more about this story visit northescambia.com they have several articles so you can search for “J. B. the donkey” to find them all You can also watch video of J. B. on youtube if you Click Here Update 9/30/09: JB has become an international Star read his story at www.horsetalk.co.nz a New Zealand based website Update 11/25/09: Kyle Mason Driver Convicted for shooting J.B.’s Mom read the story at: NorthEscambia.com or HoresTalk.co More on J.B from the HorseTalk

On July 9, 2009, Panhandle Equine Investigators seized one horse, one donkey, four goats and two pigs. One dog is in custody of Escambia County Animal Control. When PER Investigators responded to a citizen complaint of a donkey tethered with no food or water, they found several other animals on the Century property that were also being deprived of necessary sustenance. These pictures show the donkey tangled up with a dog and a mare that was tethered in the backyard, tied with an electrical cord. When offered water, the mare drank almost five gallons. The goats, pigs and dog were also extremely thirsty. Panhandle Equine Rescue would like to thank the Escambia County sheriffs deputies that were on the scene that day. They were very compassionate about the animal’s welfare and also assisted us in rounding up the goats. Thanks to PER volunteer, Michelle Phillips for going into the pig pen and educating us on how to catch a pig! The goats and pigs are in foster care with one of our volunteers and the donkey and horse are being kept in our quarantine area. The donkey is named Jack and the mare is called Champagne. 8-13-09 – Update PER was awarded custody of the horse, donkey, goats and pigs in civil court. The goats and pigs were adopted by their foster mom, Lindley Barden of Pensacola. UPDATE: Steven Billiot and Faye Kyle were arrested on charges of confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise. For more on this story go to www.northescambia.com.

On November 30th, PER rescued two horses from the Cantonment area. Little Richard and Scam are well known in the local thoroughbred circle and have lived in the area all of their lives. They were both raced in their younger years and retired at a great facility, where they received excellent care and lots of love. Due to serious medical problems, their previous owner could no longer pay their board and they eventually ended up at the Frisco City Livestock Auction where by chance they were bought outside the sale pen. They changed hands again after that and it was a combination of lack of knowledge and financial hardship endured by their new owner that they didn’t receive adequate nutrition. We are so happy that we could get them out of a bad situation before the temperatures dropped. They have a dry shelter and plenty to eat now; their days of neglect are over. Donations and sponsorships are welcome. Please help if you can. Update: Dec. 23, 2009 On November 30^th, the story on Scam and Little Richard had some media coverage. From those stories, a special lady discovered that her best friend’s horse, Scam had been in serious trouble. Debbie Trocki’s friend, Lauren McClaney, who passed away 12 years ago, would never had allowed this to happen to her beloved horse. Debbie called the rescue and asked to bring Scam into her home for foster care in honor of her friend. Debbie told us that if things were reversed, Lauren would do the same thing for any her horses that had suffered from neglect. Panhandle Equine Rescue delivered Scam to Debbie’s today. It was very touching, as Debbie said, with tears in her eyes, as she looked so lovingly at Scam, Merry Christmas, Lauren. This story might be enjoyed by others at this very special time of the year. Scam will be loved and cared for the rest of her days, thanks to Panhandle Equine Rescue and Debbie Trocki. Here is a statement I received from Debbie today. I hope this story gets out. Sincerely, Diane Lowery   Pres/PER Merry Christmas Lauren! When I met you over 21 years ago your Scam was a black, glossy filly and she was your pride and joy. Since your death 12 years ago, Scam has fallen on very hard times. She was left behind when your farm was sold and has endured famine, thirst, neglect, abuse and unknown conditions. Like all animals lovers we worry what will happen to my pets when I die. Scam was lucky to be rescued by the Panhandle Equine Rescue. She is in bad shape, covered with ringworm, thin, with both hips and ribs visible. She looks better in just the few weeks since she was rescued. This Christmas she will be sharing the warmth of my barn with her old friend Promise and 5 other Morgans. When I moved here 22 years ago from Atlanta, Lauren offered her barn for my 6 Morgans. I am honored to return the favor. Rest in Peace and Merry Christmas!   Debbie Trocki Scam was featured in “Angels in our Midst” on WEAR TV 3. To view the video, click here Pictured below is a much improved Little Richard and Scam. Pictured with Little Richard is Connie Greenhut on the left and Laura Kaiser on the right. Connie and Laura are sponsors. Thanks to both of them for their continued support. Please become a sponsor if you can’t foster or adopt!

This horse was rescued on 12-18-09 from a case of neglect. The owner was unemployed and not able to feed him anymore, so he voluntarily surrendered him to PER investigators. He was definitely a horse that was “in trouble” and well on his way downhill. The horse known at “Russ” is currently in rehabilitation. After that he will go to a trainer for evaluation and then be put up for adoption. Donations are appreciated to get this horse back on the road to a full recovery. Update: 1-21-10 Russ has been adopted by the Parkers of Cantonment, FL.

On June 4th, PER rescued three Tennessee Walking Horses from neglect. After working with the owner for several months, conditions improved some, but then declined again. A search warrant had to be issued to enter the property and with the assistance of the sheriffs department, they were seized. One gelding called Spell, a mare known as Patches and her colt, we now call Magic are doing extraordinarily well. They have all been adopted and are now rehabilitated and enjoying a new life with their caring owners, who all love them very much. For more on the story, click on the links: http://www.northescambia.com/?p=18185 http://www.northescambia.com/?p=18393