The local police in Algorfa, Spain, made an urgent call to animal rescuers one night regarding a pony that had been left tied to a tree by its owners. The Easy Horse Care Rescue Center (EHCRC) reported that the pony was tethered without any access to food or water, and his head was forcefully shoved into a bush to keep the flies away from his eyes. Upon their arrival, the animal was so weak and traumatized that it didn’t even lift its head to acknowledge the rescuers.
“He was tied to a tree and left to starve,” Easy Horse Care Rescue Center wrote online. “He had his head shoved in a bush to try and keep the flies out of his eyes.”
Upon the arrival of the sanctuary rescuers, they observed that the pony was elderly, estimated to be about 20 years old, and displayed signs of mistreatment and negligence. The pony had an infected eye and a scar on its neck, which seemed to be a result of being struck by its previous owners.
“They likely just tied him to a tree and left him to die,” the rescuers wrote. “He has survived starvation, dehydration, standing out in the full sun, everything. He deserves everything in the world that we can give him and more.”
According to the organization, he began to feel better after spending a few days at the animal shelter. However, his rescuers discovered that the pony was nearly blind due to the treatment he endured and had difficulty walking because of two broken backbones. Only recently has he become more outgoing and comfortable enough to greet his saviors. The animal rescuers are still contemplating what to name the pony.
“It’s absolutely heartbreaking to think what he has suffered. We see terrible cases like this regularly, but it never gets any easier,” EHCRC wrote. “We will give him anything and everything he needs. He’s munching away happily in our stables, probably thinking he’s gone to heaven.”
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