Crime & Safety
Horse Shot With Paintballs 130 Times At Close Range
"She was in excruciating pain," said veterinarians treating the 20-year-old Arabian horse in Chester County.
KENNETT SQUARE, PA -- An abandoned horse was shot 130 times with paintballs on Monday at the New Holland Sales Stable in Lancaster County.
Animal cruelty officers with the Lancaster County SPCA were immediately notified after the sale ended and the horse was left behind.
The horse, a 20-year-old Arabian mare that has been named Lily by the veterinarians treating her in Chester County, was in "excruciating pain."
Find out what's happening in West Chesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
No identification on the horse could be found.
In addition to injuries suffered in the torturous assault, Lily has a host of other medical problems which were not treated by her previous owners.
Find out what's happening in West Chesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lily was blinded in the right eye, and has an ulcer in her left eye, said Dr. Nikki Scherrer, an ophthalmology resident with Penn Vet's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square.
Sherrer performed surgery to remove Lily's right eye on Tuesday, and performed another surgery on her left eye to help it heal.
Although Lily is now permanently blind in her right eye, still has some sight in her left eye.
"Lily's right eye has a severe and painful condition and will never regain sight, and physical removal of the eye will allow her to be pain-free," said Dr. Rose Nolen-Walston, Associate Professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine at New Bolton Center. "Horses do very well after this surgery. We expect her to make a full recovery."
Doctors added that Lily does not appear to have any major systemic problems at this time, but she is being kept in quarantine in the isolation wing of New Bolton Center's Moran Critical Care Center as a precaution.
Many people are asking about donations to cover the cost of Lily's care, and offering to adopt her.
Omega Horse Rescue is handling those inquiries.
A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in this case. The Lancaster County SPCA is taking those tips: Please call 717-917-6979 or email information to info@lancasterspca.org. All calls will be kept anonymous.
Images courtesy New Bolton Center.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
