13-Year-Old Horse Gets New Lease on Life Owner Previously Warned to Provide Better Care

After warning the owner to take better care of the horse for the second time, Humane Society of Louisiana investigator Kelly Cole and her team of volunteers took possession of a 13-year-old Quarter/Walker stud horse on July 9. A neighbor noticed that the horse’s water bucket had been dry for several days and the owner could not be located. Fearful that his neighbor may have abandoned the horse, the resident contacted Cole, also an experienced barrel racer and horse owner. Cole and her team visited the site on July 8 and confirmed that the horse named Sye did not have any access to water and that the owner, Marvin Patten, had apparently moved away.

Last year, Cole received complaints about the upkeep of Sye and urged Patten to provide better care and supervision. After checking on Sye on July 8, Cole contacted Patten and asked for an explanation. Patten said that he had moved out of town and only sporadically visited the area to check on his horse. Cole explained that he could surrender the horse or face possible charges of cruelty to animals and abandonment. To avoid possible charges, Patten surrendered Sye to HSLA.

After taking custody of Sye, Cole and her team, including “Bubba Jack” and Josh Spears, loaded Sye up in a trailer and moved him to a barn,

which is operated by Empty Pocket Rescue, where he’ll get lots of food, water, and attention. HSLA has agreed to pay for the initial cost to board Sye and will provide a wellness check.

Like a lot of rural parishes, Avoyelles lacks parish-wide animal control services and a facility to impound stray or criminally abused animals. This lack of essential services, according to the Humane Society, places an unfair burden on law enforcement agencies to uphold the law without adequate resources. This lack of services also places the public at risk since they have no agency that will pick up stray or vicious animals or respond to other animal-related issues.

This past legislative session, HSLA asked lawmakers to set aside funds to construct and improve public animal shelters, but the budget request was omitted in the waning days of the session. HSLA intends to make the same request to legislators next year. Those interested in joining HSLA public shelter support campaign, are invited to contact them at info@humanela.org.

“We are grateful to Kelly and her hard-working team for ensuring that Sye has a second chance and a better life,” HSLA Director Jeff Dorson said. “Without their intervention, the outcome may have taken a turn for the worst.”

HSLA is accepting donations for Sye’s care and contributions may be made online through its Paypal account at humanela@gmail.org, on its website at www.humanela.org, or by mailing a check or money order to HSLA, P.O. Box 740321, New Orleans, LA 70174. All donations are tax-deductible.

Photos courtesy of Kelly Cole and may be reproduced.

Established in 1988, the Humane Society of Louisiana operates the Enoch J. Donaldson Animal Sanctuary in Mt. Hermon and is a licensed private detective agency that helps law enforcement solve crimes against animals. Follow them on Instagram at @humanesocietyoflouisiana.