Loose horse returned home after being found in Desert Hot Springs
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - A loose horse that drew multiple emergency calls late Sunday night was safely returned to its owner after an unexpected adventure through the desert.
Matthew Perez, Animal Control Officer, said initial calls described a horse loose on the side of the road off of Dillion Road and Johnson Road.
He said it's a situation that can be dangerous for both animals and drivers.
"We were worried about it getting hit by a car. We get those a lot," Perez said.
Before officers arrived, Perez said a good samaritan who works at a horse ranch located the animal inside a trailer park and used his own equipment to secure and contain the horse until help could arrive.
"I was able to come straight to our shelter, pick up our horse trailer and head right out there," Perez said.
Perez said the horse ran into a slow-moving vehicle that was attempting to assist in keeping it off the roadway, breaking the car’s side mirror but not harming the horse.
He said loading the horse into a trailer presented another challenge.
"He is young. He's 4," Perez said. "A lot of times when they're that young and they're not trailer trained they do get intimated."
Perez praised the cooperation between the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.
"The sheriff's department was there. They helped get the horse," Perez said. "CHP helped on the vehicle side of the accident and made sure everyone was safe."
Perez said the horse escaped because a gate didn’t latch properly. He gave a message to horse owners.
“Make sure all your latches are fixed and are latched properly,” Perez said. "We do recommend a 2 latch system or a 2 gate system. If the first one fails, the second one would also keep it down. But we also ask you to microchip your horses."
He said the horse was identified through a microchip and reunited with his owner the next day.
“It felt amazing," Perez said. "The owner was really happy that we had it."
