Neglected N.B. horses being rescued

The seizure of 38 emaciated horses by the New Brunswick SPCA has shocked provincial horse owners, but it has also compelled them to take action.

At least 26 of the animals have already been taken into foster homes, where people are helping the animals recover, and funds are being raised to look after them.

A Fredericton horse owner and realtor put out a call for funds to pay for feed and veterinarian bills Thursday and raised $2,000 from local real estate agents in just two hours.

The horses will stay on foster farms until the case moves through the legal system.

The undernourished and dehydrated animals were rescued from an undisclosed property on Tuesday. At least one of the horses is so ill that vets aren't sure it will survive.

Jen Jamael, a horse owner near Fredericton, said owners need to be educated, particularly about the size of the area needed to sustain horses.

Jamael said cases of horse neglect are more common than people realize.

Dr. Alice Crook of the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre in Prince Edward Island urged the public to report any suspicion of animal neglect.

"People are often concerned," she said.

"They don't want to report on neighbours or they may feel sorry about the situation, but the animals are truly suffering in these circumstances."

The SPCA has not yet said where the horses were taken from. They will discuss charges once the investigation into the horses' treatment is over.