Whisper and Traveler, a stallion and a mare who were seized from their owner for neglect, will be going from the worst conditions to the best. Musician and horse lover Willie Nelson has offered to give them a permanent home once they have recuperated from their traumatic ordeal.
The horses, currently being nursed back to health at LEARN (Livestock and Equine Awareness and Rescue Network), were severely underweight, dehydrated and Whisper had kerosene burns on his back from where the owner reportedly tried to burn off a fungus. News 4 reported that when rescued, the pair were close to death.
Eric Elkins from LEARN has said that Whisper has gained 25 pounds since being rescued from his former life, and that the burns are healing.
According to the Summerville Patch, Nelson and Elkins will use Whisper and Traveler’s hardships to advocate for horses. Nelson will even head to the capitol to share their traumatic stories. Stories that sadly are not uncommon for horses.
As for Dwight Benjamin McCloud, the man responsible for their disastrous health, he has been “charged with three counts of failure to provide care or treatment for a diseased or injured animal; three counts of failure to provide humane treatment to animals; and one count of failure to provide adequate food and water.” Sadly, only two out of the four of his horses were removed from his care.
Below you can see a picture of Whisper at what looks to be his worst. But rest assured, they do get a happy ending.
About Ali Berman
Ali Berman is the author of Choosing a Good Life: Lessons from People Who Have Found Their Place in the World (Hazelden) and Misdirected (Seven Stories Press). She works as a humane educator for HEART teaching kids about issues affecting people, animals and the environment. Her published work can be found on her website at aliberman.com. In early 2012 Ali co-founded flipmeover, a production company with the mission to use media to raise awareness of social issues.View all posts by Ali Berman →
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