Neglected Horses Found On Highway 78 Ready for Adoption

The San Diego County Department of Animal Services (DAS) impounded the animals May 23 when they were found without food and water. DAS had been monitoring the herd since May 20 when several of the horses were found on the highway. 

The California Highway Patrol and Ramona's Intermountain Fire and Rescue safely moved the horses off the road and returned them to a nearby property. Intermountain also filled the horses’ empty water containers. DAS could not take any action then, but when animal services officers checked on the horses again May 23, they found the herd was again out of water and lacked food so they seized the animals.   

The seven horses are now available for adoption and photographs of them can be found on the Department’s website at http://www.sddac.com/adoptions.asp. Interested adopters may also check out the horses in person at the department’s animal care facilities in Bonita and Carlsbad. Six mares are in Bonita and a stallion is housed in Carlsbad.

The minimum bid for most of the horses is $150. Two of the mares at the Bonita facility are pregnant, so their minimum bids are $200. An adoption application and a completed sealed bid form must be submitted to the facility where the horse is housed by 5:30 p.m., Friday, July 5. DAS will screen the applicants and then open qualified bids. Winning applicants should be notified by Wednesday, July 10.

The horse adoption application and the sealed bid form are both on the DAS website. The County’s animal care facilities are open from  9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The facilities are at 5480 Gaines St. in San Diego, 2481 Palomar Airport Rd. in Carlsbad and 5821 Sweetwater Rd. in Bonita.

For more information on adoptions or to see photos of available animals, visit the DAS website atsddac.com/adoptions.asp.

—County News Center