San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.comSan Diego police horse retires to East County sanctuary
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. (CBS 8) - As part of the budget cuts, the city council also eliminated the police department's mounted enforcement unit. All the horses that officers ride in Balboa Park will be sold off except for one. His name is Clark, and he's already found a new home.
Just north of Descanso off Interstate 8, there's a horse sanctuary called Tir Na Nog. The latest addition to the ranch is a former police horse named Clark.
For the past five years Clark worked as a member of the San Diego Police Mounted Enforcement Unit in Balboa Park. The team is being eliminated as part of city budget cutbacks. All seven horses will soon be auctioned off - that is, all except Clark.
"Clark started falling about two months ago in training," veterinarian Dr. Daniel Oman said.
Doctor Oman says Clark has a neurological problem just recently diagnosed that sometimes causes him to stumble. As a result he cannot be sold at auction.
"A horse that falls down makes him a risk not only to the rider, but also to the general public. That's why he's no longer able to be a service animal," Dr. Oman said.
All too often, horses that can't be ridden are euthanized. But Clark was lucky. The city contacted Amy Pat Rigney and asked her to take care of Clark, along with the two dozen other horses at her ranch.
"Most of the horses come to us as a last resort," Rigney said.
The horse sanctuary is non-profit, run by volunteers. Clark's medical bills will not be cheap - about $3,000 - in addition to feed an maintenance costs.
"We are hoping that someone will step foreword and sponsor him, or at least pay for the medical diagnostics to give him the care package that meets his medical needs," Rigney said.
For a former police horse, a place like Tir Na Nog seems like a fitting place to retire.
"It's a mutually beneficial program for us. We have volunteers that come up and horses that just love the attention," Rigney said.
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