Meadows steps in to help starving horses

The management of the Meadows Racetrack and Casino and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association have banded together to help a group of nearly two dozen horses found emaciated about six miles from the track, near Washington, Pa.

The horses, who are not believed to be Standardbreds, were seized by local authorities over the weekend and are being cared for on site. Multiple horse carcasses were also found. The remaining horses had only water to drink from a creek believed to be contaminated. According to Tom Leasure, race secretary at the track, five of the horses are receiving round the clock veterinary care.

Leasure said that the track’s casino had committed to provide 1,000 bales of hay for the horses, while the track and horsemen each committed $1,000 to be used for veterinary expenses. Leasure is also working to help Washington Area Humane Officer Matt Walsh obtain suitable watering troughs for the horses and hay that is suitable for their compromised physical state.

The Humane Society expects to eventually seek adoptive homes for the horses and will probably need ongoing donations to care for the horses until they are placed. Their Web site is www.washingtonpashelter.org for those that would like to join with the Meadows community in supporting these horses. (HRC)

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