Horses abandoned amid tough economy
Posted at: 12/14/2009 11:44 AM
By: Misa Maruyama, Eyewitness News 4, and Kurt Christopher, KOB.com
This abandoned horse in Las Cruces died shortly after this photo was taken.
Walkin' N Circles Ranch is a horse sanctuary in Stanley, N.M. that has opened its gates to horses abandoned by their owners.
"Horses are just that mythical creature that won the West and made America great. So, yeah, it's easy to fall in love with a horse," said ranch manager Colleen Novotny.
But many people have fallen out of love with the cost of owning a horse. Animal Protection of New Mexico says it has seen several instances of abandoned horses this past year from Las Cruces to Valencia County.
"No one intended to move out into the country and have their dream horse, then lose their job and have an emergency and have things go downhill," said Laura Bonar of Animal Protection.
At the same time, donations at rescue shelters have plummeted.
"What comes first, family or donations? Well the family does," said Novotny.
Despite the hardships, Novotny is still accepting horses with no other home. It requires a lot of food and hard work.
Novotny says horses helped build this nation. She's just returning the favor.
"This country was founded on horseback! We're just very thankful for these animals and the things they've done for us," said Novotny.
Animal Protection of New Mexico is launching a fundraising campaign to help horse rescues. If you see animal cruelty, you can call the New Mexico Attorney General's animal cruelty hotline at 1-877-5-HUMANE.
Walkin' N Circles Ranch Animal Protection of New Mexico
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