Word from the Louisiana State University Veterinary School about the overall situation at the LaMar Dixon Expo Center which has been the large animal evacuation center, is positive. Dr. Rustin Moore, Director of Equine Health Studies at LSU, reports that they now have approximately 275 horses at the center and because donations of supplies, including hay and feed, have poured in from across the country they are in good shape.

The most common injuries found in the horses in both Louisiana and Mississippi have been lacerations, dehydration caused by drinking sea water, weight loss, and skin issues.

Owners began coming to the center last weekend searching for their horses, and there have been many tearful and rewarding reunions. However, there remain some horses that will require longer-term medical care and new homes, or shelters, may be needed for others. Currently, the major effort is to reunite horses and owners. LSU has specific requirements for proof of ownership, which include a tattoo number, microchip or photo before horses will be released to them. In some cases, they may be able to identify, in detail, the locations from which the horse was rescued. All claiming owners must provide phone numbers, copies of their drivers’ license or alternate form of identification before they’re allowed to leave with a horse.

The LSU Hotline is 225-578-9501.

Dr. Moore acknowledged the importance of the volunteers in terms of supplies and manpower. “The volunteer effort whether in time or donations was enormous and truly beneficial to the whole effort,” he said. “People both locally and those from states like North Carolina and Illinois donated their time to feed, hay, water, muck stalls and wash horses that had been in the flood waters, not to mention that every single horse that was fit enough got walked…every day. These volunteers checked horse in and out, read microchips, whatever they needed to do. It was a huge effort by a lot of different people.”

Situation in Mississippi
The situation is also improving in Mississippi as a consistent transfer of feed, hay and other supplies is now moving from the main supply depot in Hattiesburg to satellite depots in the most severely affected areas on the Gulf Coast. There has not been a large number of horses taken to the evacuation/supply depot in Hattiesburg, where there are about 30 horses. For the foreseeable future, hay, feed and fencing, specifically metal posts and barbwire, will still be needed in Mississippi as the citizens attempt to rebuild their lives. Many horses have been found in distress and needing food and veterinary attention. It is difficult to determine the exact number of affected horses in the six county-area hardest hit by the hurricane.

Rescue teams, including vets, rescue association volunteers and members of the Blue Devil Horse Platoon, a unit of the U.S Army cooperating with the USEF on Operation Pegasus Rescue, an official Army mission, have been answering calls for help. Information from calls received on the USEF Mississippi hotline were transmitted directly to Blue Devil’s personnel assisting in the Gulf Coast area. The USEF has been in daily contact with the Mississippi State Veterinarian’s Office to field specific requests for supplies, locations for delivery, and to ascertain longer term needs.


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