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Thousands of horses benefit from new clinic in Colombia

(copyright WSPA) www.wspa-usa.org

WSPA and member society El Refugio have opened a clinic to help overworked and overloaded horses in Colombia's capital city of Bogota.

Thousands of families in Bogota rely on horses as their only source of income, as approximately 7,000 working equines in the city's poorest areas are used daily to transport goods, food and waste.

Yet many owners often do not have the knowledge or resources to properly care for their animals.  Before WSPA's clinic opened, horse owners had nowhere to take their sick and injured animals, and without the correct food, clean water and health care, the horses all too often had short and miserable lives.

Improving horse welfare

The new clinic will enable El Refugio to care for at least 3,000 horses a year and is equipped with an examination box, surgery, laboratory, classroom, farriery and x-ray units.

Just as importantly, the clinic will allow El Refugio to address the issue of poor horse welfare by working closely with owners to teach them how to properly care for their animals. Projects around the world have repeatedly shown that when given the proper training, owners are eager to improve the welfare and care of their horses.

WSPA will also use the clinic to expand our humane education work, run in conjunction with Fundacian El Refugio Animal, San Martin University and local police, to have an even greater impact on horse welfare throughout the region.

For more information on the WSPA, visit:  www.wspa-usa.org