Things have been very quiet in the world of horse rescue with regard to the pace of new arrivals that once filled the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s (GDA’s) impound barns. All of the barns stand empty now that the responsibility of picking up horses rests with the counties. It is hard to believe that there are no skinny horses in Georgia, yet we have received no phone calls from any animal control or sheriff’s office requesting help.
I did receive a phone call from an acquaintance that complained about a skinny horse in someone’s yard that was reported to the local authorities who did nothing. I obtained the address and decided to go for a ride to see what was going on. I did, indeed, see a very skinny horse and since it was visible from the road, I slowed down and took a couple of photos. I followed up with the county animal control to report the incident and was told that they are only handling dog and cat issues right now. I was told that the State was handling it. I then called the State and sure enough, they already had an open case and had one of their inspectors following-up. I couldn’t have been more pleased.
The Department of Agriculture has not pushed the responsibility of enforcing the Georgia Equine Humane Care laws to the counties without training and guiding them through issues that arise. Also, just a reminder that GERL and the GDA have been training law enforcement and animal control officers for ten years now. They continue to train and advise counties as the requests come in.
The GDA recently scheduled three law enforcement training meetings back to back. They are smaller gatherings than what we used to hold, but the COVID has much to do with that. It is my hope that after the virus issues are behind us that more counties will reach out to the State and request training. GERL continues to stand by and support any county that prosecutes offenders of equine cruelty and neglect and that is not going to change.
GERL Vice President, Cynthia Anderson, recently spoke at a law enforcement training meeting put on by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. She made a comment about the lack of attention and enthusiasm displayed by some of the attendees. Years ago, we often used to tease that some officers came to the training because we served donuts and a free lunch. In reality, there are counties that do not have a high level of horse issues, therefore, I would suppose that their level of interest might be low.
In any event, there are many counties in Georgia who have been handling their own horse issues for years and they continue to handle things without the aid of the GDA. They are our champions! Unfortunately, there are going to be some counties who would rather ignore animal cruelty cases and it is going to be up to the community to be the eyes and ears for equine that are being neglected or abused. Calling one time may not be enough. And, let me say this, about that, never discount the power of a “squeaky wheel”. I encourage concerned neighbors or passerby’s to be just that. A horse’s life may depend on it!
