 |
| April 2009 when JAAN rescued Untung |
Untung (means Lucky) was bought by horse trader and carriage owner Hassan, In Kemanggisan (Jakarta,Indonesia), on March, 24. We found him, when we went for the routine check ups and treatments with the Belgium veterinary team, lying on the ground unable to get up. His eyes were all red, showing sepsis. He was skin and bones. His hind left leg was swollen en we observed an infected puncture wound just above the knee. This clearly had been caused by the ‘Walu rope’ the rope the carriage horses use to stop a horse from limping (basically they move the pain, causing more suffering).
After a strong painkiller injected IV and penicillin, we witnessed Untung wanting to stand up. We helped him with this process and one hour later he was grazing nearby.
When I returned to give him treatment the following day, Untung wasn’t there. Hassan had exchanged him for a strong healthy big horse. It took me some time to find out where Untung went. I found Untung standing on a very short rope so he couldnt have any free movements anymore, standing next to another handsome golden horse, also very skinny, but not as bad as Untung.
I spoke to the new owner who felt he had been cheated because he had bought a very ill horse and got only one million rupiah extra for the healthy horse that he exchanged with Hassan. JAAN (Jakarta Animal Aid Network) provided him food, daily vitamin injections and penicillin, painkillers.
After one week of treatment our team didn’t return to the location since I explained the owner that now it was time to improve the general conditions by himself; food and housing…
When I returned to the location on the 8th of April I saw Untung standing extreme sadly with Waru Ropes punctured through his hind bag leg and front chest. The owner said that he had paid someone 50,000 rupiah to puncture the ropes through Untungs body; it’s a last attempt to get a horse walking again; putting it through much more pain.
We couldn’t stand to see Untung, after all the treatments and pain he had already been through, suffering this much. We knew this would be the end that he would slowly die of pain and infection. I told the owner that we wouldn’t be able to assist with treating the horse anymore since he went back to using traditional, cruel and dumb methods and left.
That night we went back and bought Untung for the slaughter price. We brought Untung by pick up to our house at Jalan Andara where he, probable for the first time, could walk around freely through the 6000 square meter garden. It was great to hear him starting to breeze and graze.
The following morning we found him lying down and he couldn’t stand up. He was too weak and his hind leg all cramped. After painkillers and antibiotics, we helped him getting up.
 |
| Picture of Untung taken at June 2009 |
Untung loves carrots and is very curios when he meets cats and other fellow creatures, it’s the first time he tastes nice food, and had pleasant interactions with fellow beings.
We will try to do what we can to get Untung back to strength and gain his confidence so he can enjoy a peaceful sanctuary and never has to work anymore!!
