PETITION TARGET: Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD)
Passersby discovered a 2 1/2-year-old colt starving to death and dumped like trash in a notorious area of southern Arizona called Dogpatch, according to local news.
Resident Erick Munoz told 13 News that he often sees dead horses in the area, but he was surprised to get a phone call from his kids about a live horse.
Animal rescue group Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary came to the aid of the colt, whom they later named “Little Man.” Despite their attempt to save his life, Little Man’s organs failed and he had to be euthanized.
KVOA News reported that people have dumped trash and animals in the desert area near Tucson International Airport for more than 15 years. Although Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) asserts that animal abandonment is a “large problem throughout this county,” rescue groups and residents argue that more needs to be done to stop this from happening in Dogpatch. Suggestions include surveillance of the area as a deterrent or a wildlife camera.
“I brought home one of those Dogpatch mares nearly 10 years ago, and it was an infamous name well before then,” Alex Beards commented on a Facebook post. “I don’t know what it’s actually going to take to have something done about the place.”
Equine Voices has removed a total of six horses from the area, including two that were rescued just days apart with the help of a local business owner in 2022. Angelique, who was found severely underweight with signs of abuse, eventually recovered and stayed with the rescue. But Summer Rain, whose hooves are believed to have been sawed off, had to be euthanized.
Leaving any animal out in the desert without food and water to die a slow and painful death is incredibly cruel.
Please sign our petition to urge PCSD to implement stronger monitoring of the area, investigate these cases, and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.
Anyone with information is urged to report it to PCSD at (520) 724-5900 extension 4. Pima Animal Care Center also encourages the public to report any small animals found at (520) 724-5900.
