Local

Can you help these 18 horses rescued amid an animal cruelty investigation?

The horses are safe, but many of them have had to be strictly quarantined after arriving with respiratory illnesses.

By Heather Alterisio

December 8, 2022

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Email
• 1

An animal cruelty investigation in western Massachusetts has resulted in the surrender of 18 horses to Nevins Farm in Methuen — the largest single surrender of horses in at least five years, according to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The horses are safe, but many of them have had to be strictly quarantined after arriving Monday, sick with respiratory illnesses, the MSPCA said Wednesday morning in a Facebook post.

The horses were rescued from a farm in Alford, a town in Berkshire County. The investigation, which officials have not revealed many details about yet, remains ongoing.

The MSPCA noted that its staff worked hard to prepare for the horses’ arrival, saying it was “one of the fastest repositioning of large animals in Nevins Farm history.”

Resources are depleted at this time of year though, as the organization has spent the past year caring for “thousands” of animals, the MSPCA said. So, the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals helped the organization find adoptive or foster homes for 10 horses that were already at Nevins Farm.

“We are so grateful for the community’s ongoing support so that we can step up for the animals who need us most,” the MSPCA said, adding that donations are especially needed at this time of year.

The horses are not yet available for adoption, but donations for their care can be made at mspca.org/alford.

See below for some photos of the horses: