Pennsylvania Horse Shot With Paintball Gun Loses Eye
A horse is recovering after Thursday afternoon’s surgery to remove her right eye. The mare, called Lily, has been shot up to 130 times at close range with a paintball gun.
The horse’s eye surgery was performed at New Bolton Center. Dr. Rose Nolen-Walston, associate professor of Large Animal Internal Medicine told Daily Local News that Lily will have limited vision in the remaining eye, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Injured horse nicknamed Lily, an Easter rescue, after being shot nearly 130 times with paintball gun. @69News pic.twitter.com/Rt1KdEz9nx
— Ryan Hughes (@RHughes69News) March 15, 2016
“Lily’s right eye has a severe and painful condition and will never regain sight, and physical removal of the eye will allow her to be pain-free.”
The horse’s left eye, she said, has an ulcer but there is still some vision. Surgeon Nikki Scherrer explained the procedure on the hospital’s Facebook page.
“…We did a cytology of the ulcer in her left eye, which means we looked at the cells where the ulcer was and they did not show any signs of infection. So we did a debridement procedure to help stimulate healing, which means we removed the cells that were no longer healthy. We ended up removing almost the entire top layer of the cornea. So because the ulcer was so big we decided to place a catheter to help medicate her, which will be a more comfortable way for us to give her medication.”
While the thought of Lily losing one eye and part of the other may be awful, Dr. Scherrer explained that horses adapt very well to the surgery.
“Her prognosis is excellent. Removing the eye doesn’t change anything for her at all except she will be a more comfortable horse. The ulcer in the left eye we expect to heal in two weeks. She does have vision in her left eye. It’s not normal because of a positioning abnormality. She has limited vision.”
Lily was found on Monday tied up at an auction farm, bruised and splattered with paintballs, blinking painfully into the light. She had been abandoned at a stable in New Holland, Pennsylvania, the place where unwanted horses go to be sent to slaughter.
The horse, a 20-year-old Appaloosa/Arabian mix, had seen better days. She was underweight, covered in welts and barely able to see. ABC News in Philadelphia reported that she had no registration number for the sale and no visible identification.
Kelly Smith of Omega Horse Rescue was first to notice the mare. She immediately contacted PennVet’s New Bolton Center in Kennett Square.
“When you first see something like that it’s quite stunning, because I’ve never seen a horse look like that.”
SPCA Executive Director Susan Martin said the horse, now called Lily, was underweight and had been struck by over 130 paintballs at close range. She was “in a substantial amount of pain when touched.”
In addition to the paintball injuries, Lily was found to have an untreated, diseased eye. Ophthalmology resident Dr. Nikki Scherrer said it would have to be removed.
“That eye’s no longer any use to her and she’s going to be a much happier horse without it.”
Omega Horse Rescue has taken responsibility for Lily and will pay for her treatment, which will likely run into tens of thousands of dollars. Smith said it won’t be cheap.
“It’s very costly to have a horse here, especially in the isolation unit. And there’s a reason for that – we do need to protect the other horses at the hospital. But it’s very expensive.”
Although the eye disease is not related to the paintball incident, the search is on for the shooters who injured Lily. Authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for assistance with their arrest. Anyone who recognizes the pony or might know its owner is asked to contact the Lancaster County SPCA at 717-917-6979 or email information to info@lancasterspca.org. All calls will be kept anonymous.
Donations for Lily can be mailed to Omega Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Center located at 8272 Woodbine Road; Airville, PA, 17302, or via the Omega Horse Rescue website by following the PayPal link for donations. Donations raised also benefit Omega’s Slaughter and Rescue Fund and the Humane Euthanasia Fund.
[Image via Heidi Lindstrom/Shutterstock]
