Tails in the News
Horse rescue hosts open house to raise awareness
“People don’t realize that just as there is an overpopulation of dogs and cats, there are too many horses being bred, and there is a lack of education and long-term [guardian] responsibility,” says Susankelly Thompson,
director of Mylestone Equine Rescue (MER), a nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing abused, sick, and neglected horses in Phillipsburg.
MER will be hosting its eighth annual open house event on Oct. 14 from noon-4 p.m. It will allow visitors the opportunity to meet rescued horses, talk with volunteers, and tour the farm. In addition, there will be a silent auction, craft sale, and bake sale to raise much-needed funds for the group.
One of the challenges in running an equine rescue is that horses live for a long time, says Thompson. “We end up with a lot of older horses and they are difficult to adopt out just like your older dogs and cats. These horses deserve a dignified retirement and to be cared for, not starved and beaten or discarded once they can no longer be ridden,” she says.
To learn more about Mylestone Equine Rescue, visit Mylestone.org.
Animals rescued from hoarders flood Jersey shelters
On Aug. 27, Jersey City Animal Control notified Liberty Humane Society that it had confiscated 27 cats from a hoarding situation and would need assistance from the shelter. Already at maximum capacity, LHS had to appeal to its volunteers and foster parents to take in the animals. Volunteer Coordinator Allison Meyers says the cats came from a home in Jersey City that had a complaint filed against it for unhealthy conditions.
“Hoarding is a sickness,” Meyers says. “People think they are doing a good thing by taking in all these animals and ‘saving’ them, but it easily gets out of control and they cannot provide the proper care for so many animals. Often times people don’t even realize how many they have, and the animals start reproducing with one another.”
Ultimately, the shelter took in six of the cats. However, because the hoarder has not relinquished guardianship of the animals, LHS is unable to place them in foster homes. If the cats are turned over, Meyers says the shelter must assess the health and temperament of each animal to determine if they are good candidates for adoption.
In another unrelated incident, Saddle River animal control officers recently discovered more than 100 animals in a newly purchased house. Michael Acciardi, who owned the property next door, placed a $2.4 million bid on the house even though he had never been inside. What he discovered, upon entering, was feces on the ground (in some places inches deep), dead animals stored in the garage, and sick, malnourished, and neglected dogs and cats running throughout the 12,000-square-foot house. The couple that previously owned the house, Philip Tamis, and his wife, Cynthia Stewart, 49, each face 20 counts of animal cruelty, with more charges expected.
Spotlight on: Pig Placement Network
Many times, we think of the companion animals that need rescuing as the furry variety, i.e. dogs and cats. But there are other animals that need help too. Specifically, says Rose Strong, pigs. Strong works with the Pig Placement Network, a Sewell-based organization dedicated to the plight of the pet pig; they offer an adoption service and work with guardians, shelters, vets, and the general public to education them about our hoofed friends.
One of the most recent rescues is Helen, a Potbellied pig who was left on a foreclosed farm.
Lower Saucon Township officials found the pig and realized she was in need of more care than she was getting. Although Helen’s former caretaker was feeding her, giving her fresh water, and providing her clean shelter, he wasn’t able to keep up with the amount of care that a pig requires.
Township officials contacted the PPN to see if they could help. In late August, PPN President Eileen Wanamaker took a trip to the property to assess Helen’s situation. What she found was a pig in serious need of some basic care, including a hoof trim, tusk trim, and worming. PPN took in Helen, and Strong is fostering her until she can be nursed back to health and eventually adopted out.
“She’s grossly overweight due to a diet of pizza, dog food, and Krispy Kreme Donuts which has made her nearly blind and deaf due to the fat folds on her face,” Strong says. “Her hooves were so long and curled up that they needed to be trimmed with bolt cutters and she’s now a bit arthritic from lack of foot care.”
Many people do not realize the commitment a Potbellied pig needs. A pig can live to be 20 years old and needs a steady and healthy diet, spay/neuter surgery, regular visits to a vet, and appropriate bedding and shelter.
One thing many people do now know about pigs, says Strong, is how smart they are. “They can learn tricks, learn basic commands like a dog and learn whatever you need them to know to get along and behave appropriately,” she says. “Just as [with] dog training, you have to be firm. My pigs are always amazing me with their intelligence. Show them once and they have it down!”
Though the organization is based in Sewell, they work all over the country on behalf of pigs that need new homes. “The PPN would work anywhere they are needed,” says Strong.
For more information about the PPN or to volunteer, visit PigPlacementNetwork.com.
