Gresham, Ore. – The 501(c)(3) non-profit horse rescue organization, Sound Equine Options, announced on Facebook their 2022 “Hungry as a Horse” fundraising campaign on Monday.
Sound Equine Options, which is based just outside of Portland, Oregon, is the go-to horse rescue organization for many large law enforcement seizures stemming from horse neglect cases across SW Washington and NW Oregon.
The announcement of the fundraising campaign included details about one of the horses rescued by SEO during a law enforcement seizure in February of 2021. While SEO’s post didn’t give particular details regarding the specific seizure or provided the intake photos of the horse’s condition at the time, NW Horse Report could indecently confirm that the horse was 1 of 48 horses seizued by the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office from Susan Swango at her horse breading facility just outside Carlton, Oregon last year.
Swango was indicted on 55 counts of felony animal neglect after investigators served a search warrant at her Carlton home and facility in late Feburary of 2021. Swango’s case is now awaiting a ruling on her “fitness to proceed”, following questions being raised about her mental state and courtroom outbursts and disruptions also reported on by NW Horse Report. The presiding judge in the case also revoked Swango’s initial waiver of attorney which allowed her to represent herself during several pre-trial hearings.
The horse ‘Girlfriend’, which SEO described as being part of the seizure, was not was not halter broke and we suspected of never having any farrier care. “After 4 months of rehabilitation, Girlfriend went into much needed groundwork training last spring. While she was making good progress, she had some trouble with her initial heat cycles post rehab.” the post stated.
“Currently Girlfriend is in training and has had about a dozen rides on her, she has been relaxed and willing. It will not be long until she is ready for a fabulous new home.”
Girlfriend has been under SEO’s care for 405 days. SEO stated that this has required roughly 5 tons or approximately $2250 of hay for Girlfriend alone, giving an idea as to the enormous costs incurred by SEO in taking care of the many other rescued horses over the last year.
SEO now owns Girlfriend after she and many of the other horses were ultimately forfeited by court order not long after the seizure from Swango last year. The 7 cats in the case were forfeited to the Oregon Humane Society.
SEO’s fundraising campaign is handled through Global Giving’s Little by Little campaign. That means that through April 8th, all donations up to $50 are being matched at 50%.
SEO’s Executive Director Kim Mosiman spoke with NW Horse Report saying, “This is one of our largest and most important fundraisers of the year. With recent hay shortages and price increases, it is now more important than ever to purchase a large portion of our needs as soon as fields are cut.”
Mosiman went on to say, “When we get the call to help on a neglect case, and before we can say yes, we need to know we have enough hay available to care for additional horses. On average SEO has 50 to 60 horses to feed on a daily basis.”
Those interested in learning more about adoption can email the rescue at adoption@soundequineoptions.org Donations for their fundraising campaign can be made by visiting: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/create-positive-lasting-change-for-horses/
