THE chances of recovery of 10 severely burnt horses rescued from bushfire have been boosted by a generous community donating time and money.
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Coolup veterinarian Ross Wallace said people from around the state had pitched in to help, after the horses had been severely injured in the Waroona/Yarloop bushfires.
“The support we've got through the community and suppliers has been amazing; many people are donating time, drugs, bandaging, stockings,” he said.
“People just have a lot of empathy for these animals and they can understand people losing their homes and farmers losing their fencing, but when it comes to horses, people just get really upset by it.
“Human life and asset protection is number one, but in the aftermath, there is a tremendous cost to livestock and wildlife.”
Dr Wallace runs the horse hospital at Murray Veterinary Services, which can care for 12 horses.
He said the animals had been severely burnt by the grass and scrub fires; while other livestock tend to stay put, horses panic and can end up running towards fire and stumbling through it.
It would take the horses as long as three months to recover.
“If we were doing this on a cost basis, it would be in excess of $10,000 per horse,” he said.
“We started on day one with a $50,000 treatment program; it was nowhere near enough, but that was before donations started to come in.”
Canning MP Andrew Hastie, who had been visiting locals and businesses in fire affected areas, said he was talking with the Shire of Murray about using the upgraded Murray Equestrian Centre as an evacuation point for horses.
Murray Wellington MP Murray Cowper said last week the public response to the equine rescue had been spectacular, and a special account was opened at Westpak Bank in Pinjarra to receive donations, known as the Yarloop Fire Equine Survivors’ Fund.
A separate emergency depot had been established at the Coolup Equestrian Centre where volunteers were receiving donations of everything from Hay to veterinary products.
“Tonnes of feed have been arriving from farms all over WA and the new centre is proving an excellent distribution point for farmers who have been burnt out, and who have animals to feed and treat,” Mr Cowper said.
“I am extremely proud of the way our communities are responding to this tragedy by pitching in to help in so many positive ways.”
