Phoenix firefighters rescue abandoned horse from wrecked trailer
Apr 15, 2018, 11:18 AM
(Twitter Photo/@PHXFire)
(Twitter Photo/@PHXFire)
PHOENIX – Phoenix firefighters and veterinarians from the Arizona Equine Rescue Organization rescued a male horse from an abandoned trailer that was found wrecked on Saturday, according to officials.
Captain Jake Van Hook of the Phoenix Fire Department told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s John Roller Saturday that Phoenix police and firefighters were called to the scene of an abandoned horse trailer near the intersection of 67th Avenue and Broadway Road around 5:30 p.m.
“A passerby said they saw an abandoned horse trailer with what looked like a horse that was trapped somewhat under the front end of the trailer,” Van Hook said. “When our crews got here, the best they could tell was it seemed that there was a sudden stop involved while the horse was being carried in this trailer.”
Van Hook added the sudden stop forced the horse to jolt forward, breaking through rusted metal in the front of the trailer and ending upside down due to its weight.
The horse then laid trapped underneath the trailer hitch with his head on the ground before crews arrived to the scene to attempt rescue operations.
“Our crews had to use the jaws of life to cut him out of there,” Van Hook said.
“They worked in conjunction with the Arizona Equine Rescue Organization, including a veterinarian who was on scene who sedated the horse while we did the extraction.”
The horse was treated on-scene to come out of the sedation and stand up before it was transported to a local animal hospital for further evaluation.
It is unknown what injuries, if any, the horse sustained from the incident.
The vehicle towing the trailer was not present at the scene and there was no license plate on the trailer.
Phoenix police are investigating the incident.
