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Here is some interesting info from a Humane Society man who is telling us about how it is in Haiti for  animals as well as some comments about the human situation there since the earthquake.

 http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=15711

Lloyd Brown with Wildlife Rescue of Dade County deployed to Haiti as part of the Humane Society International (HSI) field assessment team. He is a long-time responder with various animal disaster groups both nationally and internationally. With his military background and wealth of experience, he brings sanity to the often-complicated politics of animal disaster field rescue and assessment. He was able to work with contacts in Dominican Republic to stage equipment, supplies, and a small team in preparation for going into Haiti. His mission: to do an "on the ground" assessment of the needs and issues involving animals and to report as soon as possible, as groups endeavor to plan for recovery after such a horrific tragedy.

I got the chance to do an interview of sorts with Lloyd via e-mail--as you can imagine, communication capabilities are at a premium. Here is the highlight of what we discussed:

Give me the overview--what are the animal issues in Haiti and are they a result of the earthquake, or were they there before?

Our team has been doing assessments for several days now and it is our professional opinion that no animal issues are here that are related to the event of the earthquake. There are a lot of animal issues here, but after speaking with a local American expatriate veterinarian here (who is very well connected in this country) we must agree with her that now is not the time to deal with them.

Lloyd examines a wound on a horse's chest.

Let me give you an example: If we were to set up a spay/neuter clinic while so many people are displaced and homeless, it could be disastrous--they don't understand neutering here. People are hungry, they have no homes, they have no shelter, they are sleeping in the streets. They don't understand the concept of a PET, they are an agricultural community--animals are for work or to sell food or to help them feed their families.

What is the commercial dairy/poultry/swine situation so that food can be produced for the people of Haiti?

Dairy producers here told us that their cows are producing less milk than before the event (probably due to stress and difficulty getting food and forage to them). There was a recent outbreak of a pig virus that the vet is very concerned with; perhaps a foreign animal disease? But it has nothing to do with the event.

At this time of year, most animals are turned out to pasture, which is where we found everyone. At the time of the earthquake, most animals were in the fields--and they are still there--keeping them out of the barns and structures.

The commercial poultry industry in this country was destroyed by an embargo years ago but still there are chickens to be found everywhere in yards, etc. We have seen many people carrying live roosters down the street cuddling them as pets. Hens are carried by the handful by their legs but there are plenty to be found.

Are there any horses and what shape are they in?

We have seen a lot of horses being ridden and for transportation of products, or in the fields. Most appear to be in good shape (considering that they are in Haiti). On two animals I found bridles that were far too tight and asked the owner if they could be adjusted. I saw many animals that are used for transport of products, everything from horses to donkeys and smaller burros. (These animals) are too valuable to eat unless they get sick.

What is the situation with companion animals--did you see any?

HSI staff found two dogs abandoned when their owners had to evacuate.

Our team successfully removed two dogs owned by people who had to abandon them when they were forced to evacuate, and today we got them across the border into the Dominican Republic where they will be cared for by volunteers who run an animal rescue center there. We have been asked to look into the case of others. Owned pets are very rare here--most dogs and cats are feral and there are very few of them.

Is there a zoo in Haiti? Every time there is a major disaster, seems like the zoos have problems. How about theirs?

The only real logistical challenge was at the zoo, where they ran out of pigeon feed but I will get them resupplied through Dominican Republic. (You and I probably have more animals in the backyard than they have at this zoo.) It is a typical developing country zoo--structures are concrete with iron bars with little to no enrichment for the animals. They have one crocodile in an obscenely small pond and a few rabbits and birds. The one animal that we believe we can do the most for is a monkey, who inhabits a concrete cage with no enrichment materials. The volunteers in DR are planning to take this on as a project to help to improve the zoo.

This is low hanging fruit--helping the animals and helping Haitians understand about better educational opportunities and management for their zoo.

A collapsed house.

What is the logistical scenario?

Animal care products (while sometimes hard to get) are available. They are (relatively) easily purchased in Dominican Republic and carried across into Haiti. We've had no trouble getting anything we wanted to, including vet drugs for the veterinarians in Haiti.

Roads are compromised. This is a very mountainous country and there were landslides all over the place. Most have been cleared as of Jan. 25 but only to one lane open. There were times that we had to wait on traffic, but we could get through eventually. Near where I believe the epicenter to have been, there is place in the road where it is split very dramatically. All roads are heavily congested and traffic is a challenge... but that is not much different from "normal" in a country with very few improved roads.

We have heard that there are major shortages of produce and food... is that true?

While there are shortages of food in the Haitian camp areas in the major city area, a short walk finds sidewalks filled to overflowing with fresh produce of all kinds. There is no shortage of food there at the markets. A shortage of money to purchase it, but not a shortage of food products available.

There is no doubt that this area has been hit very hard by the recent earthquake and aftershocks continue. The human situation here for many is dire, especially in the capital--while for others, there seems to have been little to no damage. It is obvious that there were varying degrees of construction quality. One building will be knocked flat while the building right next to it seems unaffected.

What can people in the United States do to assist the animals the most?

Send money to the groups that are already operating in Haiti and stay home--this is NO PLACE for people who don't have their shots, don't speak French/Creole or have expertise in field rescue and assessment. Soon these organizations will be coordinating to assist the Haitians with setting up commercial production of food animals, vaccinating to prevent a rabies outbreak, providing assistance with treating livestock used for transportation, etc. Support their volunteers, but stay home.

More information and updates from Humane Society International.

A group created to address the needs of animals in Haiti, the Animal Relief Coalition for Haiti can be supported via the International Fund for Animal Welfare, or World Society for the Protection of Animals.

All I Need To Know in Life I Learned From My Horse

1. When in doubt, run far, far away.
2. You can never have too many treats.
3. New shoes are an absolute necessity every 6 weeks.
4. Ignore cues.  They're just a prompt to do more work.
5. Everyone loves a good, wet, slobbery kiss.
6. Never run when you can jog.  Never jog when you can walk.  And never walk when you can stand still.
7. Heaven is eating at least 10 hours a day... and sleeping the rest.
8. Great legs will get you anywhere.  Big, brown eyes help too.
9. When you want your way, stomp hard on the nearest foot.
10. Act dumb when faced with a task you don't want to do.
11. Follow the herd.  That way you can't be singled out to take the blame.
12. A swift kick in the butt will get anyone's attention.
13. Love those who love you back, especially if they have something good to eat.
    

     There's a program called Partners for Progress, which is a non-profit eqine therepy program for young kids with autism and other disabilities.  It operates at Fields and Fences Equestrian Center in Guernee, IL.  They serve more than 160 children each week.  Some have mental challenges like autism or down syndrome, while others aim to overocme physical disabilties such as spinal bifida or cerebral palsy.  Partners for Progress uses trained volunteers and certified staff and is overseen bya licensed occupational therapist.  They work mostly with children, but with adults also.

     The executive director of the program Diane Helgeland says, "We use the horse as a treatment tool.  Horses are very non-judgemental.  They can be very forgiving.  They mirror how the kids are feeling.  If you are scared, they're going to act scared.  If you panic, they will panic.  For at risk children, those are things to process.              

     Autistic children have trouble concentrating and speaking, and also tend to lack upper body muscle, which horseback riding helps.  Riding forces the child to focus, which is another difficulty with autism, and helps improve speech by building jaw strenghthening muscles.  The also learn social interaction skills, cognitive and motor skills, as well as self confidence.  A horses gait is similar to the stride of a human, so it uses all the riders body muscles.  It can improve posture, balance, strength, and muscle control.

     A young boy named Charlie Sims started keeping to himself mostly and missing developmental milestones until he was diagnosed with autism at age 4.  Once he was 7, he didn't say as many words as a kid his age should, and was closing himself off from the world around him, afraid to interact with-or even look at-some people.  But Charlie seemed to like interacting with animals.              

     When his parents took him to start equine therapy, instead of being scared and withdrawn when they went into the stables, Charlie was so exited he wanted all the horses to be let out of their stalls.  He almost immediately conded with the horses.  They were gentle and comforted him.  Unlike most people, they didn't expect him to know any words and he didn't have to concentrate to understand what they were saying either.-which can be difficult with autism.  Although his parents said it was funny because he actually wanted to talk to the horses.  He feels comfortable and safe riding on top of a horse and his parents say it's built trust between Charlie and them.  "It's a comfirmation that Mom and Dad understand him."  his mom said.                 

     Charlie's little sister Mary, 4, who is also autistic, is also enrolled in the program which has helped her learn to focus and control her impulses.  They and other kids in the program work to meet carefully planned goals like becomming comfortable in a saddle and following directions.    

     Charlie's parents saw a noticable change in his behavior.  His mom said, "Charlie was locked in his own world.  When he came here it was like it opened something in him."  His dad added that they've noticed it really brought out his ability to speak.  Even his teachers started asking them what they were doing to give him better ability to speak and better confidence.

     Charlie was fearful of certain body movements and tasks before equine therapy.  Now he can actually stand on his favorite horse Legend.  "It's fun.  I'm not scared."  were Charlie's own confident words.  He is also providing a great role model to his sister Mary being that she's joined the program too and is doing very well herself.  It will be easier to tell major improvements when she gets a little older.

     There's no cure for autism, but several theories on what causes it and not much to back many of them up.  The Sims simply say that their kids learn differently and, "If you can accept them for who they are, they can do anything."

To learn more about Partners for Progress, visit www.partnersforprogressnfp.org or call (847) 226-1300

Let us know what you think about that news story.

   Welcome to the Ponyzone blog.  This is where you can write about your fun experiences with horses for people to read.  It's kind of like an online diary that anyone can enjoy.

     My son got to have his first experience with a horse last weekend at an event in our town called ag (short for agriculture) day.  They had all kinds of farm animals there that anyone could hold and pet and tractors to ride along with face painting and games for all the kids.  He's almost 2 years old and has never gotten to hold or touch animals like that, and he loved it.  His favorite part besides riding the tractor was getting to ride on two different horses.  He loved being way up in the air on top of such a cool animal that he couldn't believe actually let him sit there! (He trys to ride his grandparent's dog sometimes lol) I think the horse was his favorite animal of the day and I can definately see why.  How could you not love a horse at first sight?

     Please let us know your exiting and fun horse stories here, or if you want to talk with other girls who love horses, check out the Chat option on our menu.  We hope you will love our site as much as you love horses!

                                        Jenni-Moderator