HSMO’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch caring for 11 horses rescued in horse trailer accident

14 horses die as a result of accident; 4 at equine veterinary hospital; 11 at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch

In the early morning hours on Monday, October 19, HSMO’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, in cooperation with MERS Large Animal Rescue, transported to the ranch 11 of 29 horses involved in a trailer truck accident that happened last night on I-44 at the Washington, Mo. exit.

Rescuers from MERS and Longmeadow worked through the night in the rain and cold weather to remove the horses from the trailer, capture those that had escaped and transport the survivors to safety. The eleven horses taken to Longmeadow are suffering from shock, deep skin and leg abrasions and lacerations, head and eye trauma and back injuries. They will be examined by an equine veterinarian today and cared for by Longmeadow staff.

An additional four surviving, seriously injured horses are being cared for at Homestead Veterinary Hospital until they are stable enough to be transported to and cared for by Longmeadow staff. Ten of the horses died in the crash. Due to the severity of their injuries, two of the horses were euthanized at the scene and another two were euthanized at the veterinary hospital. The reason for the animals being transported has not been confirmed.

Last week, upon the request of HSMO and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) attempted to contact the owner and view the animals but the owner was being arrested at the time and did not provide consent for officials to inspect the animals. The animals will be held at HSMO pending further court action and, because this is an ongoing investigation involving several jurisdictions, it is unknown when or if any of the rescued animals may be made available for adoption.

“Missouri’s animals are very fortunate to have dedicated, highly-skilled, experienced people in multiple organizations who can come to the rescue of animals in dangerous emergency situations like this,” said Debbie Hill, Vice President of Operations for the Humane Society of Missouri.  “Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, MERS and Homestead Veterinary Hospital have partnered on multiple occasions to help animals in jeopardy.  We also are grateful to the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Boles Fire Department for responding so professionally to this tragic situation.”

Persons interested in helping the horses recovering from this accident may visit www.longmeadowrescueranch.org/FranklinCountyHorses.