Alabama horse sanctuary aims to help horses caught in floods

A truck can be seen driving through a partially flooded road near Youngsville, La., from a helicopter carrying Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on a tour of the flood damaged areas Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016.
A truck can be seen driving through a partially flooded road near Youngsville, La., from a helicopter carrying Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on a tour of the flood damaged areas Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016.

DOTHAN, Ala. - A Dothan horse sanctuary will soon accept two horses stranded by the floods in Louisiana.

Lori Dawkins said the Wiregrass Horse Rescue & Sanctuary will bring two horses from a facility in Florida where they have been housed. Dawkins said the horses need extensive rehabilitation, as they have been malnourished and injured as a result of the floods.

Dawkins said the plight of horses and farm animals has been a little-noticed tragedy of the floods, which began around Aug. 11 when prolonged rainfall fell on the state.

Meteorologists estimate the storm dumped three times more rain on Louisiana than Hurricane Katrina. The rains forced many people from rural areas before they could see to their horses and cattle.

"There were people spray painting their phone numbers on their animals so, if they were found, the owner could be contacted," she said.

Dawkins said veterinarians and animal advocates have been working hard to round up animals stranded by the floods.

Dawkins said many of the animals have been malnourished and injured from their ordeal, and they are also finding many animals that had previously been mistreated or neglected by their owners.

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