Woodside Horse Saved in Dramatic Rescue

Woodside Horse Saved in Dramatic Rescue

Published: Friday, 18 January 2019

photos Susan Munroe

Late Saturday afternoon, January 12, 2019, Tuffy’s owner was notified that her horse was down in its paddock. The big beautiful Clydesdale was lying in the mud and unable to get up.

Tuffy was completely exhausted from trying to get a foothold in the deep mud. After several hours of stuggling, the Woodside Fire Protection District (WFPD) and the Disaster Animal Rescue Team (DART) were called for assistance.

Thanks to ongoing large animal rescue training, WFPD personnel, with the help of DART, finally repositioned Tuffy and assisted the large animal to her feet. Once up and able to regain some strength, Tuffy walked out to the driveway where the owner’s veterinarian examined and treated her. Tuffy is recovering nicely from her ordeal.

DART member and Woodside Community Foundation Board member Rick DeBenedetti credited the success of the rescue to the extensive and ongoing training that WFPD personnel and DART members have for just such an emergency.

DeBenedetti also said, “Huge thanks must be given to those forward-thinking Woodside residents whose donations to the Woodside Community Foundation enabled the Foundation to purchase the horse manikin and special equipment so that the WFPD fire personnel could train for such a disaster/rescue.”

The Woodside Community Foundation thanks everyone who was involved in getting Tuffy back on her feet!