PULLMAN, WA — A team of veterinarians and students from Washington State University (WSU) aided in preparing 66 horses for adoption after they were removed from a Latah County property due to neglect. The team, led by WSU equine veterinarian Dr. Ali Botting, traveled to Lewiston on August 27 to administer vaccinations, deworming treatments, microchips, testing, and general health assessments for the horses, which were being cared for by Horse & Halo and the Idaho Animal Rescue Network.
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The horses were seized on June 5 and initially housed at the Lewiston Livestock Market. Jenna Redheart, founder and director of the Idaho Animal Rescue Network, noted that many of the horses arrived underweight and lacking proper nutrition and routine care.
Throughout the summer, the horses received necessary medical treatment and gained weight. Following the WSU team's visit, nearly all the horses found new homes, with only a few remaining unadopted.
“Without WSU stepping in to help, we wouldn’t have been able to get these horses ready for adoption,” Redheart said, emphasizing the impact of their assistance.
The WSU team dedicated around 10 hours to the task, providing veterinary students with valuable field experience while contributing to the rescue efforts. Dr. Botting remarked on the importance of such hands-on experience, stating that it allows students to engage with aspects of veterinary medicine not typically encountered in classroom settings.
The initiative also received support from Dr. Liv Brockhaus of Viking Veterinary Hospital in Moscow, who addressed abscesses and other minor conditions, as well as Mandy Stuhan from Horse and Halo, who facilitated the adoption process.