Large Animal Rescue Team Helps Fallen Horse In Canton

CANTON, GA — The Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Large Animal Rescue Team was dispatched to WarAngel Farms, 1051 Ficklen Church Way, on Feb. 3 regarding a large draft horse that was unable to get up.

Special Operations Chief for the Fire Department Darrell Mitchell said the horse was in a temporary holding pasture.

"Due to the heavy rain in the area, the pasture was really muddy and slippery and sometime during the night, the horse was in his shelter and casted, which means the horse gets stuck on its back or side and can’t get its feet under it to stand up again," Mitchell said in a news release.

The Large Animal Rescue Team and Veterinarian Ashley Davenport arrived and put straps around the horse to drag him back to the top to a flat area. The team put two more straps around the horse, so they could pull him off his side and rolled the horse onto his belly. The team then allowed the horse to rest, and eventually pulled him up so he could stand on his own.

“These guys are good at what they do," Mitchell said. "They devised a plan and had the right equipment in order to get the horse back on its feet."

The Large Animal Rescue Team focuses on ropes and rigging skills that may be applied in case of large-animal emergencies. Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services has several teams within the department to handle specialized emergencies, including the Hazardous Materials Team, Dive Team and the Rope and Rescue Team.