Locals help horse owners impacted by SoCal fires
The horse community is rallying together to collect key items as fires rage throughout Southern California.
It was pure chaos at the San Luis Rey Training Center on Thursday, when workers risked their lives set to more than 450 horses free as the Lilac Fire in San Diego County was burning just yards away.
Read: Thoroughbred horses killed in Lilac fire
On Friday, Kelley Smith — owner of Jackson Hole Horse Emporium at the Empire Polo Club — is collecting donation items for owners in Los Angeles and San Diego counties affected by the fires.
“There is a great need for blankets, water buckets, hay, grain,” Smith said.
The emporium is seeking to provide more than 700 stacks of hay to feed evacuated horses for the next few weeks.
Smith is working alongside Jodi Bemis, owner of Desert Feed Bag, in Indio. Bemis is accepting donations at her location.
“Whatever we can do here in the Coachella Valley to help them out, and all come together as one unit, we’re all about,” Bemis said.
“As soon as we have the donations and equipment, we’ll be out the door the next day. We have the Red Cross, Salvation Army, but we have to think of the animals too.”
Drop Off Locations: Jackson Hole Horse – 50950 Madison St, Indio, CA 92201 Desert Feed Bag – 83-558 Avenue 45, Indio, CA 92201 Items Needed: Buckets Feed Hay Halters Blankets Bedding
Coachella Valley Animal Disaster Relief: (760) 464-3157
Monetary donations are also accepted.
More: I-Team and Stands for You investigations
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