THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

At first glance, Lucky Chance has the demeanor of a carefree horse – happiest when he’s munching on hay, carrots and his favorites, horse cookies. The large scars on his body, however, paint a much darker picture.

After undergoing major surgeries from a September 2009 accident, the light brown-and-white horse was shown to public for the first time Sunday as the Humane Society of Pulaski County celebrated 10 years in its Colonel Glenn Road facility.

Humane Society Director Kay Simpson said Lucky Chance fell out of a horse trailer as it was being pulled by the horse’s previous owner, Danny Ferguson, 49, of Batesville. (more…)

THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

A Pulaski County woman was arrested Friday morning after sheriff’s deputies found at least 30 malnourished animals at her home, including horses, dogs and cats, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies arrested Shelia Ford, 43, on four felony counts and 30 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after deputies found two of her horses loose and “in poor physical condition,” sheriff’s office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said in a news release.

Ford was being held Friday evening at the Pulaski County jail in lieu of $20,676.58 bond, jail records show. (more…)

THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Down miles of gravel roads in the rolling hills of Fulton County sits Ken-Mar Farms, just outside of Salem.

When guests walk through the front door of the Lewis home, they’ll be greeted with a wide variety of dogs. All but Lulu, the Chihuahua, were rescued by Martha Lewis. The occasional horse may stroll into the home as well.

“It’s an absolute zoo,” Lewis said as she rounded up several dogs of various breeds. Lewis’ caring nature shone as she told the story of how she obtained each dog. (more…)

PHOTOS BY SUSAN LOESCH

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE

RESCUE IN THE ROCK

What began with a phone call to Animal Planet ended in the rescue of 25 dogs, a raccoon, four cats and a horse when four central Arkansas rescue groups helped an overwhelmed El Paso woman.

Animal Planet Executive Producer Dan Jackson said the footage would premiere sometime in July on a new, as yet unnamed show.

“It will be about helping people who have too many animals,” Jackson said. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENO, Nevada — Activists say stress and trauma are to blame for most of the 86 wild horses who died in a government roundup of mustangs north of Reno.

A report issued by the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign says 43 percent of the deaths are due to diet and metabolic failure induced by stress and trauma.

The report says 22 percent of deaths are due to the poor condition of the animals, and 19 percent are blamed on traumatic injury. (more…)

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NEW YORK — New York’s City Council has passed regulations requiring carriage horses to have larger stalls, five weeks off per year and blankets in cold and wet weather.

Animal welfare advocates have long campaigned to shut down the Central Park carriage horse industry, which has been featured in movies and shows such as HBO’s Sex and the City.

Advocates for the industry argue it’s important to tourism and say the horses are treated well. (more…)

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SEATTLE — A formerly wealthy entrepreneur who spent three years in prison for smuggling cocaine is in trouble with the law again — this time for reportedly running a bestiality farm in Washington state.

Douglas Spink was arrested at his compound near the Canadian border in Whatcom County this week for investigation of violating the terms of his supervised release. Also taken into custody was a 51-year-old tourist from Great Britain, who is accused of having sex with three dogs.

Spink was arrested in 2005 as part of a smuggling ring. He was given a lenient sentence because of his extensive cooperation with investigators. (more…)

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LOUISBURG, Kan. — Melissa McCoy hasn’t lived in this small town in 15 years, but she knows the talk.

“A lot of people are speculating,” said McCoy of Stilwell in southern Johnson County. “They didn’t know. They didn’t ask.”

They are speculating about how McCoy’s farm, once owned by her father, a well-known breeder and horse trainer, became a bone yard for 18 horses found dead last month. The sight of the possibly starved horses lying unburied has stirred this town of 4,000. (more…)

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BISMARCK, N.D. — Dan Sparling enters the round ring alongside his barn and lets out a shrill whistle. “Come here, bud,” he says gently to the blue roan with brownish winter hair who is sniffing around the ground.

Obediently, the horse trots over and allows Sparling to rub his face, put his hands up and down his slender neck, ears and withers. The horse sniffs at Sparling’s hands and at the pocket of vest, looking for the treats he knows the man doles out to him regularly.

The horse’s name, Bashful, seems a misnomer. He sniffs at visitors, and though he still shows signs of youthful flightiness, he is calm and stays at Sparling’s side as the man tells Bashful’s story. (more…)

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FRANKFORT, Ky.  — A bill aimed at caring for unwanted horses in a state known as the “horse capital of the world” has cleared the Kentucky Senate.

The measure would create a state council to help ensure the health and safety of Kentucky’s equine population. The bill is also aimed at helping develop regional centers of care for abused and neglected horses.

The proposal passed the Senate on a 38-0 vote Friday. It now returns to the House, which will consider changes made by the Senate. (more…)

KRISHA WILLIAMS TURBEVILLE
RESCUE IN THE ROCK

Arkansas offers a bevy of spring festivities, many of which benefit and some of which welcome the state’s furry friends.

Here are several:

SATURDAY: The 18th Annual Kite Festival, “Art with an Attitude,” will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, 7 miles outside Eureka Springs on Arkansas 23. Admission to fly kites is free, but regular rates apply for those wishing to tour the big-cat habitat. Kaleidokites has donated a Japanese fighting “Rokkaku” kite and a tiger kite to be raffled off. For help building kites, a donation to the rescue is suggested. Proceeds go to the nonprofit. For more information, please call (479) 253-6596 or (888) 836-6251, or visit the Turpentine Creek Events Page. (more…)

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RENO, Nev. — Activists are questioning the rising death toll from a controversial government roundup of wild horses from the range north of Reno.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management spokesman JoLynn Worley said 77 mustangs involved in the Calico Mountains Complex gather have died so far — 70 at a Fallon facility where they were taken and the rest at the roundup site.

That’s nearly double the 39 horses that had died when the roundup of 1,922 horses concluded on Feb. 5. (more…)

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NAPLES, Fla. — Two dogs reportedly attacked a horse in southwest Florida and mauled it to death.

A Golden Gate Estates woman and a 15-year-old girl were riding horses Tuesday evening when a pit bull and a boxer started chasing the them. The teen’s horse threw her and ran off with the dogs following.

Authorities and the horse owners later found the runaway horse mauled to death, along with a huge amount of blood on the trail. (more…)

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CATSKILL, N.Y. — A trial is starting for a prominent thoroughbred breeder who was banned from racing after more than 170 malnourished horses were seized from his upstate New York farm.

Ernie Paragallo’s non-jury trial is beginning Tuesday in Greene County Court in Catskill, 20 miles south of Albany.

The Long Island resident was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty after state police and welfare investigators raided his Center Brook Farm last April. He could face jail time and fines if convicted. (more…)

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FRANKFORT, Ky. — In Kentucky, sleek thoroughbreds are venerated as a state symbol, but existence can be grim for some horses lacking such stellar bloodlines.

A group of veterinarians urged lawmakers Wednesday to create a state board to help ensure the health and safety of Kentucky’s equine population — from racehorses to plodders.

The measure won easy approval from the House Agriculture and Small Business Committee. (more…)

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CARSON CITY, Nev. — The federal Bureau of Land Management says it plans to allow people to adopt wild horses at reduced fees at an event in Carson City.

The BLM says the adoption event will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Silver Saddle Ranch.

Officials say would-be adopters can be approved on site, and the BLM is offering free delivery within 400 miles.

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PORT CLINTON, Ohio — Rescue groups have agreed to end their legal battle over the fate of dozens of emaciated Arabian horses taken from an Ohio woman who has pleaded not guilty to multiple animal cruelty counts.

A tentative agreement between the Humane Society of Ottawa County, which rescued the animals last month in northern Ohio, and the Sussex, N.J.-based Arabian Rescue Mission will send the horses to foster homes in Ohio within 40 miles of fairgrounds where they are currently being cared for.

The two groups had been fighting in court for custody of 36 horses after their previous owner signed them over to Arabian Rescue on Feb. 3. That was a few days after the humane society said it acted on a tip and found them severely malnourished on a farm near Oak Harbor, about 25 miles southeast of Toledo. (more…)

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LAS VEGAS — Federal land managers said Monday they’ll delay a roundup of most of the nearly 600 wild horses in a range in eastern Nevada, at least until after the herd’s spring foaling season.

Advocates fighting to stop mustang roundups in the West said they think their threat to file a lawsuit stopped the U.S. Bureau of Land Management from beginning a roundup next week of almost 500 wild horses in the Eagle Herd Management Area.

“We’re pleased that the BLM has postponed another ill-conceived, illegal and inhumane wild horse roundup,” said William Spriggs, a Washington, D.C.-based lawyer for In Defense of Animals based in San Rafael, Calif. (more…)

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RENO, Nev. — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the proposed roundup of about 1,800 wild horses from the range north of Reno.

Agency spokesman Jeff Fontana said the roundup in the 800,000-acre Twin Peaks Herd Management Area is tentatively set for August and September.

About half of the area is in Washoe County and half is in Lassen County, Calif. (more…)

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RENO, Nev. — Federal land managers have finished a major roundup of wild horses from the range north of Reno, and are gearing up to remove thousands of more mustangs across the West.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management officials on Friday said 1,922 horses were removed from the Calico Mountains Complex in the roundup that was opposed by activists.

Agency spokeswoman JoLynn Worley said an estimated 600 horses remain in the complex, which is within the management level of 600 to 900 set for the area. (more…)

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SAN DIEGO — The city of San Diego says it will sell its seven police horses via an online auction as a way to help balance its budget.

The horse unit, started in 1983, is disbanding, and the officers have been assigned to other units.

About a third of the San Diego Police Department’s dogs are also being laid off. (more…)

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