Two abandoned, emaciated horses rescued

Two emaciated horses found in a nearby county, barely holding onto life, are now in the care of Bend’s Equine Outreach Horse Rescue, which is in need of food and medication to help care for them.

Last week, Elizabeth Cox and Tammy Smith of the nonprofit group received a call from a concerned citizen to pick up two abandoned horses.

For the last four days, Cox and Smith have stayed with the horses in their pens, and they said Sunday it’s a necessity, as they hang onto their lives.

“They’re in very poor condition,” Cox said. “They’re on the brink of death.”

It’s believed that Faith, a mare, and Benji, a male, were abandoned three or four months ago. Their teeth and immune systems are severely damaged, as the animals survived on rocks and tree bark.

The women did not disclose which nearby county the animals were found in.

“The inside of their bodies are starting to eat off of themselves, in order to stay alive,” Smith said. “They had a very small chance of survival before we picked them up and brought them here.”

With their lives still in the balance, the volunteers say the animals are in need of grain, antibiotics and any donations for veterinarian costs.

Equine Outreach Horse Rescue is located at 63220 Silvis Road in Bend and can be reached at (541)-419-4842 or at equineoutreach.com.

For now, Cox and Smith say they will continue to stay with the horses, to keep their spirits up.

“(Benji) keeps lying down, trying to give up, and we don’t want him to give up,” she said. “So if we fight for him, he’ll fight for him.”