Musings from Brian J. Noggle: A Low Wattage Tragedy

A Low Wattage Tragedy

Cue the violins: 16 horses killed in trailer crash on I-44.

The grisly toll:

Officials say 26 of the 42 horses in trailer survived but nine had to be put down and the other seven died at the scene of the accident.

The authorities are taking heroic measures to save the survivors:

The surviving horses were taken to an arena at the St. Clair Saddle Club, where veterinary personnel were working on them. The highway was reopened to traffic about 11 a.m. Cole said she did not know what would happen to the horses that survived. She was looking for places for them to stay until their status is cleared up.

"The Highway Patrol made them our responsibility," she said. "The Humane Society is footing the bill for all of this. We are looking into the legalities as we go along."

The bureaucracy and its attendant veterinarians are no doubt working through the night to make sure the survivors are healthy and can continue on their journey.

The horses were on their way to Cavel International Inc., a horse processing plant in DeKalb, Ill., authorities said. In a statement today, Cavel said even though the horses were bound for the slaughterhouse, "where they would have been euthanized under the supervision of federal inspectors and USDA veterinarians," the horses belong to the horse trader who bought them until they reach the plant.

That's right: these horses are being healed so that they'll reach the slaughterhouse in prime shape.

- posted by Brian J. @ 10:13 PM