Photo courtesy of South Florida SPCA Horse Rescue.
DONATE TO THE FULLY LICENSED AND ACCREDITED SOUTH FLORIDA EQUINE RESCUE HERE.
Hurricane Irma has officially marched past Florida and been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, but many facilities are just beginning the long road to recovery and cleanup. One of the most critical public servants in South Florida was hit incredibly hard, and they need direct support for people who understand what is at stake.
The South Florida SPCA Horse Rescue has saved more than 2,000 starving and neglected horses since they first opened their doors, and they continued to take in animals leading up to the storm who would have been in very grave circumstances if not for the Rescue’s intervention.
But their good karma was not repaid by Hurricane Irma, who pounded the Miami-Dade area facility, ripping off roofs and flooding more than two feet in some areas.
Photo courtesy of South Florida SPCA Horse Rescue.
Screenshot via YouTube
The majority of their horses were evacuated, but some recent rescues were in such bad shape, they couldn’t be transported safely from the evacuation zone. Those horses survived the ordeal, but with all the damage, the South Florida SPCA Horse Rescue has horses spread around numerous secondary locations while they begin the cleanup process, spreading staff and volunteers thin, and requiring a lot of additional logistics and expenses.
“There are downed power lines, fencing, shelters and arena stall panels, plus quite a few trees both on property and on the surrounding roads,” said the facility on their website. “All 57 horses at five different facilities — from Homestead to Ocala — are being checked on and cared for at this time. All will be kept where they are, while the three at the SFPSCA ranch will be relocated to a safe property as soon as possible.”
Photo courtesy of South Florida SPCA Horse Rescue.
Damage to the facility may go into the tens of thousands of dollars range in the blink of an eye. The facility continues to care for all their animals and take in new cases, but they need financial assistance to make it possible.
The South Florida SPCA is the official equine rescue partner of local law enforcement, and they are fully accredited, have a board of directors, and a long history of successful rescues.
“The GFAS and TAA accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit works with the county and responds 24/7 to local law enforcement to investigate cruelty and abandonment cases, and to seize and care for those victims at its Homestead, FL facility. Marking its 25th year in 2017, SFSPCA is the only organization qualified to rescue, rehabilitate, retrain and rehome horses in Miami-Dade.”
Please, please consider making a donation to this organization in their time of extreme need. Money is always tight for a large swath of equestrians in an expensive sport, but skipping even one latte for South Florida will make a tremendous difference.
Go Florida, Go Jumping.