A collaboration between equine welfare charity HorseWorld and the RSPCA has seen a Shetland pony returned to her homeowners after she went lacking eight months in the past.
Sixteen-year-old Maisey was taken from her home in Wiltshire in July 2023. Her distraught homeowners launched requires assist to search out her on social media and quite a few appeals throughout the press, and regardless of numerous alleged sightings, the mare appeared misplaced without end.
Months handed with no excellent news, till earlier this week when RSPCA Inspectors responded to welfare issues a few group of horses in Avonmouth. They made a name to Bristol-based charity HorseWorld asking for his or her help with one specific pony in very poor situation.
“We were asked if we could collect a severely underweight Shetland pony which had been abandoned near Avonmouth,” mentioned HorseWorld Head of Welfare, Sarah Hollister. “We were already at capacity, with other rescues having been taken in just a few days before, but we knew we had to help.”
L-R: PC Natalie Cosgrove, Maisey’s proprietor Alison Wood, RSPCA Inspector Dan Hatfield, HorseWorld’s Verity Barker, RSPCA Inspector Kim Walters, PC Jess Swanborough, and (entrance) HorseWorld’s Head of Equine Welfare Sarah Hollister
The HorseWorld Welfare crew arrived to search out the mare in a “shocking” state. She was severely malnourished and emaciated, coated in lice and could possibly be in foal. The RSPCA organized for an equine vet to attend the location to look at Maisey previous to being transported to make sure she was match to journey.
She was rushed to HorseWorld the place she was settled into their emergency care unit and given instant life-saving remedy by the Equine Welfare and veterinary crew. The workers at HorseWorld started to think about a reputation for the horse who they believed would prone to be a part of long-term rescued residents on the sanctuary.
However, when RSPCA Inspector Dan Hatfield processed the info from her microchip, it turned obvious that she had in truth been reported by the registered homeowners on the chip as stolen.
“Maisey has quite distinctive markings and as I was looking over photographs of the rescue, they triggered a memory of something I had seen on social media,” mentioned Petra Ingram, HorseWorld Chief Executive. “With a little more delving it quickly transpired that HorseWorld had shared a Facebook post about Maisey’s theft back in July 2023. We immediately telephoned colleagues at the RSPCA and shared the amazing news that we believed we had identified not only the pony, but where she had originally come from too!”
Maisey and proprietor Alison Wood have been reunited on Wednesday 6 March.
“It feels unreal to have Maisey home,” mentioned Alison. “When RSPCA Inspector Dan Hatfield phoned I just burst out crying; I didn’t say anything! I’ve had people in the village crying when I’ve told them. Holly, her field mate, will be over the moon. But without the microchip, and the amazing work of everyone involved, we would have never got her back.”
Inspector Hatfield mentioned it was “absolutely wonderful” to be part of the crew who helped deliver Maisey home.
“When we rescued her in such a sorry state last week, we had no idea that she would turn out to be a much-loved, missing pet,” he mentioned. “This is a fantastic example of how vital it is that we microchip our pets – without this, Maisey may never have found her way back home to her owners, and I am so happy to witness them being reunited. It was a special moment for us all.”
