Susan Walker has seen the dumping of cars and furniture on North Cowichan logging roads, but nothing that prepared her for what she found on remote Hill 60 on Saturday.
“When I came up that hill, I was in disbelief. It’s clearly a horse,” said Walker, a Duncan resident.
An ATV’er originally found the body of the dark brown female horse last month. The animal’s remains were found burned and dumped off of Hill 60 near Lake Cowichan along with the carcasses of dozens of chickens.
When Walker went to see it, she says she was horrified.
“Honestly sickened,” Walker told CHEK News Monday. “She didn’t deserve this.”
According to Walker, it comes just weeks after she helped save six horses from a North Cowichan farm. The herd was found skinny, and several of the animals were sick.
“You know we’re all like a family in the horse world, and if you can’t do something, we’re gonna help. But to be honest, since finding out all this, I haven’t slept,” said Walker.
Founder of Duncan’s Humanity for Horses rescue, Rebecca Sanesh, said the number of horses in trouble is alarming as people struggle to pay for their own rising housing and food prices.
Four horses from Sooke were just surrendered to the rescue because the owner ran out of hay for them, and a white mare from that farm now desperately needs a home.
“It is desperate. People can’t afford the hay, hay is hard to find,” said Sanesh.
According to Sanesh, hay prices have more than doubled in the past year. So, there’s growing concern that more horses will suffer as scarce supplies dwindle further.
“I’m expecting a lot of calls, yes. Other rescues are getting a lot of calls. Everybody’s full. Everybody is begging for hay funds,” said Sanesh.
Walker has notified the SPCA and Animal Control about the discovery of the dead horse on Hill 60, and hopes its owner will be found. But for now, she’s most worried about the horses that may be neglected as times get tougher, and she urges people to make a call for help.
“This is what happens when you don’t call for help. This,” added Walker.
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