Policeman rides to rescue of starving horses

EIGHT horses found grazing on the Gross Barmen road outside Okahandja have been rescued by Okahandja Police Detective William Grey.

The horses are in a terrible state of malnutrition and a case of animal cruelty has been made against their owner. Two foals have already died and another is hanging on by a thread. All the horses are just skin and bone. A man known only as Sakkie bought the horses and foals in the Aminuis area, from where they were to be transported to Ondangwa. They travelled on foot to Okahandja, roughly 350 km. From here they would have been transported further by truck but the owner ran out of money and left them next to the road for two months without food or water.Detective Grey confiscated the animals and took them to the Namboer Auction paddocks where they are being looked after by veterinarian Dr Beate Voigts and Wendy Venter.Venter immediately started an e-mail appeal for help and she says the reaction from the public has been overwhelming, with people donating food and money for the horses. The horses now have water, shade and enough food. ‘You can see death in their eyes,’ said Grey. ‘We are hoping to move them to a rehabilitation place. At this stage it is the best thing we can do for them, as they have some health issues which need caring for,’ said Venter. The owner has signed the horses over to Grey and they will be moved as soon as possible. Donations can be deposited into the Reit Club Okahandja account: First National Bank Okahandja, branch code 280373, account no. 62204032114, reference: SAVEDHORSES.