Colleen Bailey spends two-week holiday with horses, mules and donkeys in West Virginia

CRANBROOK, BC (June 18, 2010) – Weekdays, Colleen Bailey works as a Graphic Designer and Communications Specialist at College of the Rockies. But most any other time, she can be found helping animals recover from traumatic experiences like neglect, abuse and natural disasters.

Bailey just returned from two weeks in West Virginia where, as a volunteer with California-based United Animal Nations (UAN), she helped shelter and care for 49 horses, mules and donkeys rescued in one of the largest equine cruelty cases in the state’s history. Bailey was planning to take a holiday anyway, but when the call came from UAN, she changed her plans and flew to West Virginia to care for the rescued animals at a temporary shelter instead.

“Colleen is very thorough in her work and clearly shows a passion for each animal in her care,” said Jackie Beckstead, a cruelty investigator with The Humane Society of the United States, which organized and led the rescue. “Her dedication and expertise make her a true asset to the emergency shelter and to UAN.”   

Distinguished by their red shirts, UAN volunteers are specially trained to care for animals at temporary shelters after they have been rescued from cruelty and neglect situations or displaced by natural disasters. UAN has 3,000 trained, active volunteers in North America, including 150 in Canada and 30 in British Columbia.

The horses, mules and donkeys Bailey cared for were found in horrible condition on a property in Wayne County, West Virginia on May 27. Many were extremely emaciated and suffering from a variety of medical ailments including overgrown, infected hooves, parasite infestation and untreated wounds. Concerned local citizens, shocked by the condition of the equines, complained to local officials and the investigation and rescue ensued. UAN was called in to provide sheltering support, a core competency of the organization. The owner of the equines pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges on June 8; he relinquished custody of the animals and they will be transferred to equine rescue organizations for foster care and adoption.

Bailey said she volunteers with UAN because “it renews my spirit, and working with animals gives me insight into how incredibly brilliant and sensitive they are.”

After Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Bailey volunteered with UAN at a temporary shelter for animals rescued in New Orleans. In 2008 she managed a team of UAN volunteers at a temporary shelter set up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa after a massive evacuation caused by flooding. In West Virginia, she was responsible for shelter management, volunteer coordination and even cleaning out stalls. But her favorite duty was teaching the abused and neglected animals that humans can be generous, affectionate, and provide loving and consistent care.

“I nearly cried when Spinner first nuzzled my hand,” Bailey said, describing a mule who had been locked in a shed and had gone “cage-crazy,” spinning in circles and refusing to be handled.

Bailey is experienced in animal handling, pet first aid, sheltering, volunteer management and technical animal rescue. She has worked professionally as a pet sitter, dog groomer and certified pet first aid instructor and frequently rescues abandoned and injured animals she encounters near her home. Bailey is now the Western Canadian Regional Director for UAN and even designed UAN’s Animal Disaster Planning Handbook, which gives pet owners one central place to record information about their pets that they may need during a disaster.

Support our work in West Virginia by donating to our  Disaster Relief Fund.

Founded in 1987, United Animal Nations (UAN) focuses on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the bond between people and animals through a variety of programs, including emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. Learn more at www.uan.org.

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