Crime & Safety
Horse Euthanized After Unsuccessful Rescue Operation
The horse's caretakers found the animal lying on its side Friday afternoon, and crews were unable to get the animal to stand on its own.
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CANTON, GA -- A large animal rescue operation resulted in a heartbreaking outcome Friday afternoon in Cherokee County.
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A horse found lying on its side had to be euthanized after crews were unable to get the animal to stand on its own, Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Service said in a press release.
CCFES crews and the Cherokee County Technical Rescue Team responded to a call of a horse lying on its side and unable to get up around 3:15 p.m. March 11 in the 10900 block of Cumming Highway in unincorporated Canton.
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The rescue team arrived on the scene to find a large Belgian horse lying in the middle of the pasture. The horse, which was 24 years old, weighed between 1,600 and 1,800 pounds, Cherokee County fire said.
Its caretakers told authorities the last time they saw the animal standing on all four legs was Thursday morning. When they discovered the horse's condition Friday afternoon, they "immediately contacted 911," the agency added.
Rescuers placed large straps around the horse and tried numerous times to pull it up, but each attempt was unsuccessful. A boom truck from Mauldin’s Body Shop was later dispatched to the scene to assist in the rescue. A sling was placed around the horse and then connected to the boom truck, which raised the horse up.
Once the horse was raised, the boom lowered it down until it was on its feet. Every five minutes, the boom was lowered even more so the horse could use its own weight to eventually stand on its own.
Unfortunately, once the horse was released from the sling, it took roughly four or five steps before falling again to the ground.
"It was at that time that the veterinarian on scene decided to put the horse down," the fire department said.
Cherokee County Special Operations Chief Darrell Mitchell added it was "unfortunate that the horse couldn’t have been saved, but the rescue team members did everything they could to save the animal."
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Images via Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services
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