According to a press release by the Animal Rescue League of Boston, The MSPCA Nevins-Farm and Animal Rescue League of Boston combined forces yesterday afternoon, March 8, 2012, to rescue miniature horses kept on a small farm in West Boylston. The overwhelmed owner voluntarily surrendered the animals after the state veterinarian concluded that their basic needs were not being met.
Not all miniature horses this fortunate
Animal Rescue League of Boston is asking for the public’s support in offsetting costs of rehabilitating miniature horses.
Fourteen of the horses-all desperately thin and laden with internal parasites-have been transported to the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s facility in Dedham, while the remaining 18 were sent to the MPSCA-Nevins Farm in Methuen.
“These horses are extremely malnourished due to the alarmingly high level of intestinal parasites that are interfering with their ability to absorb nutrients,” explains Dr. Martha Smith-Blackmore, director of Veterinary Medical Services at the Animal Rescue League of Boston.
Serious Health Issues Resulting from Neglect
The MSPCA and Animal Rescue League of Boston’s arrival on the scene came at a crucial time. All the horses are suffering from parasite infections, which will require a precise de-worming protocol to treat.
Their hooves are in such poor condition that the MSPCA and Animal Rescue League of Boston will rely on support from qualified farriers who are being brought in to repair them.
Moreover, the horses are suffering from severe skin infections, commonly referred to as rain rot, as a result of inadequate housing and living mostly outside. The MSPCA and Animal Rescue League of Boston will work tirelessly to resolve these health issues.
The MSPCA is caring for 20 of the horses and will eventually transfer them to outside rescue groups. The rescue groups will continue the horses’ rehabilitation and ultimately place them into forever homes. The horses being cared for at the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Dedham facility will remain there for the time being for monitoring and to undergo a careful 24-hour feeding program.
A Call for Donations
The Animal Rescue League of Boston estimates that the cost of treating the 14 horses they are caring for will cost approximately $14,000 – $16,000. The League is asking for the public’s support in offsetting these costs. Please donate online at
“This is one of the saddest rescues we’ve experienced in quite a while, with such a large number of animals in such desperate condition,” said Melissa Ghareeb, who oversees barn operations at MSPCA-Nevins Farm and who participated in the rescue along with her counterparts at ARL Boston. “Fortunately, we and Animal Rescue League arrived in time to remove the horses from these deplorable conditions and begin the treatment they’ll need as we ready them for their new lives.”