Subject: Update on Pike County Horses - Requested Supplies - Request for Volunteers
Friends of the Pike County Horses,
The remaining horses from Pike County were impounded last night and the total count is 99. We were fortunate that all of them made the trip safe and sound. Although some continue to have signs of respiratory illness, all are now resting comfortably in individual stalls and are receiving food, water and veterinary attention. A State Agriculture Response Team was activated over the weekend and we must thank the team members from the GA Department of Agriculture, the GA Forestry Commission, the USDA Veterinary Services, and the University of Georgia for their rapid response. We also thank the volunteers from the Georgia Equine Rescue League and the Humane Society of the United States and others who volunteered their time to assist us on short notice.
REQUEST FOR SUPPLIES FOR THE COMING WEEK:
Following is the list of needed supplies for this coming week. You can drop these off at any of the three Horse Town locations (Locust Grove, Marietta, Snellville), or at the TC Supply on Hwy 20 in Canton.
Pyrantel Pamoate wormer (ex - Strongid)
Fenbendazole wormer (ex - Panacur, Safe Guard)
Psyllium powder (not pellets or cumbles) labeled for horses (ex - Sand Blast, Sand Clear)
Digest Aid
REQUEST FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR THE COMING WEEK:
The Department will need volunteers to assist with cleaning stalls and barn chores for the coming week. We need 8 volunteers for the morning shift of 8 am - 12 noon, and 8 volunteers for the afternoon shift of 1 pm - 5 pm. Volunteers for any length of time are appreciated. Volunteers must complete a volunteer application packet with the Personnel Office and be approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. For security reasons, no self-deployed volunteer will be allowed on the property.
REQUEST FOR MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS:
Feeding and caring for 99 horses will certainly demand significant costs, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture does not receive state dollars to pay for feed, equipment and supplies. So, monetary donations are greatly appreciated in order to purchase the necessary resources to nurse them back to health.
To send a tax deductible donation to the general Equine Impound Program, please send a check to:
Georgia Department of Agriculture
Office of Equine Health, Room 143
19 MLK Jr., Drive
Atlanta, GA 30334
Place in the memo line "Equine Impound Program"
Many thanks to the Georgia Equine Rescue League who is managing the logistics of feed and hay. This is a huge task! To send a tax deductible donation which may be earmarked for this specific case, send a check to:
Georgia Equine Rescue League
PO Box 787
Locust Grove, GA 30248
Place in the memo line "Pike County Impound"
Attached you will find two newspaper articles from today's papers.
Again, thank you for the outpouring of help for these poor animals. Be looking for a situation report from the Department of Agriculture at approximately 2 pm tomorrow (Monday, February 5).
You will find all press releases and situation reports on the Department website at www.agr.georgia.gov under "news and events" on the homepage.
LMM
Lee M. Myers, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM
State Veterinarian
Assistant Commissioner of Animal Industry
Georgia Department of Agriculture
19 MLK Jr., Drive
Atlanta, GA 30334
Office: 404-656-3671
Fax: 404-657-1357
Cell: 404-895-5658
Email:
lmyers@agr.state.ga.us
Web:
http://www.agr.georgia.gov