Connecticut Department Of Agriculture Auction Of Rehabilitated, Rescued Horses

 STORRS — A special fall auction of rescued horses will be conducted Saturday, November 21, by the state Department of Agriculture. The auction will be hosted by the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Animal Science Department in the Horse Barn Hill Arena on Horse Barn Hill Road.

The auction consists of 14 miniature horses (three stallions, nine mares and two weanling colts), six quarter horses (a gelding and five mares), one Arabian mare, one Morab mare, and four goats. In addition, two quarter horses and one thoroughbred-cross are not sound and will be available for adoption by good homes. Up to six UConn horses will also be auctioned. The sale preview will begin at 10 am and the auction will be at 1 pm.

The rescued and rehabilitated animals that the department is offering at the UConn auction have been cared for by the department’s staff and inmates at its large animal rescue barn at the Gates Correctional Facility in Niantic. The rescue barn was built in 2003 and is a cooperative effort of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Correction. These animals have been seized as a result of law enforcement actions by Department of Agriculture animal control officers investigating animal cruelty and neglect charges. Approximately 125 horses have been rehabilitated at this facility since its opening.

The Animal Science Department of UConn’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources has been an important partner in finding good homes for the rehabilitated animals. The staff and students have taken a genuine interest in the animals as shown by their cooperation and dedication at each sale that has been held since 2003.

The animals offered for sale have been at the rescue barn for some time and are completely rehabilitated back to a healthy condition. All will have current Health Certificates, negative Coggins tests, and have recently been fully vaccinated. All records will be available to interested parties.

Funds raised by the auction go into the Animal Abuse Cost Recovery Account to help offset the expenses incurred in rehabilitation of the horses and other livestock. As the expenses incurred rehabilitating these abused and neglect animals exceeds the proceeds from the department’s auctions, donations made out to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture “Animal Abuse Cost Recovery Account” are always gratefully accepted.

Photographs and more information are available on the auction website at www.ct.gov/doag.