Local animal advocate spent her Thanksgiving break caring for 84 horses who were starving and near death

LOUISVILLE  , KY (December 4, 2009) – Karen Little couldn’t have enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal knowing that 84 starving horses needed help. So she packed her bags and drove to Nashville, where, as a volunteer with United Animal Nations (UAN), she helped care for 84 horses who were rescued from near death on November 24.

More than 80 horses found starving and weak on a property in Cannon County, Tennessee needed nearly round-the-clock care from volunteers to survive.

When rescuers arrived on the Bradyville, Tennessee  property, they found horses who were extremely emaciated and suffering from a variety of medical ailments including overgrown, infected hooves and parasite infestation.

UAN was asked to send volunteers with its Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS) to care for the horses at a temporary shelter at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds after they were removed from the property. EARS volunteers are trained to care for animals after they are rescued from cruelty situations or displaced by natural disasters.

Little, a music librarian at the University  of Louisville, used her organizational skills to help veterinarians document the horses’ condition and maintain their health records. “It is critical that those records be kept well,” Little said. “Most volunteers like to work hands-on with the animals, so I was happy to contribute in this way.”

Little has a lot of experiencing working with veterinarians: Ten years ago she and her husband founded Alley Cats Advocates, an all-volunteer organization that works to spay and neuter unowned cats throughout the Louisville area. Since 1999, Alley Cats Advocates has helped 16,000 free-roaming cats.

Little is one of 24 volunteers with UAN who has traveled to Nashville to care for the horses. UAN supported The Humane Society of the United States and the Cannon County Sherriff’s Department, which partnered to rescue the animals. Local law enforcement was alerted to the situation by citizens concerned for the health of the horses.

According to Little, helping the horses was a “life-changing” experience. “The attitude of the horses changed just in the time I was at the shelter,” Little said. “A calm came across them, and they became outgoing, demanding even. They were surprisingly resilient.”

Little said she put in 12-hour days at the emergency shelter, less than a typical day at home, where she usually volunteers with Alley Cats Advocates for several hours after leaving work at the university. “I am used to working 16- to 18-hour days here, so I actually got more rest in Tennessee  than I do at home,” she said.

To support UAN’s efforts to help animals, please make a donation.

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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