Eighty-nine equines rescued from areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina are alive and well and staying at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, La. They are being cared for by a dedicated team of Louisiana State University (LSU) veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians, and other volunteers.

The center was quiet when The Horse finally got through for information to Dennis French, DVM, professor of farm animal management at the LSU veterinary school. Every equine refugee at the facility is currently medically stable. But, the serenity is sometimes broken. There is a surge of activity after each new trailer arrives, with the team working quickly and steadily to assess every animal’s medical needs. Feelings of triumph, or loss, wash over the staff depending on how severely injured the animal is upon arrival and whether it can be saved.

Then there is the occasional tidal wave of emotion when an owner who was forced to evacuate and has lost everything sees that her horse is alive and well.

The Latest Arrivals
Nineteen of the evacuees are horse and mule survivors from Mid-City Carriage’s herd that were extracted yesterday (Sept. 4) from New Orleans by the company’s owner, drivers, and grooms, said French this evening (Sept. 5). He said one man identified only as Lucien, braved the storm and stayed for nearly a week without food or water at the stables, refusing to leave the animals in his care. They all lived through the water rising and barn flooding