The rescue of Jeffrey and Aladdin began with a phone call regarding two horses who had been abandoned on a recently purchased property. The new property owner asked In Defense of Animals' Justice for Animals Campaign for guidance in gaining custody of the horses as their "owner" failed to respond to multiple pleas for him to relocate them.

At first it was simple issue of connecting the property owner to Montgomery County Deputy and Canine Handler Jim Burton. Montgomery County, Mississippi has no animal control services. Officer Burton took photos of the horses and sent them to our Campaign Director Doll Stanley who affirmed that the horses were imperiled from deprivation.

Officer Burton was guided in gaining a seizure order and was supplied with a completed order for him to present to Justice Court for a signature. The seizure order was signed designating the property owner as agent for the Sheriff's Department for the care of the horses until the conditions of § 97-41-2. Seizure of mistreated animal, the Mississippi seizure statute, were fulfilled.

The man responsible for the horses did not respond to the seizure order and a forfeiture order for the property owner to keep the horses was in process when the property owner, given guidance for the care of the horses, realized that he did not have the knowledge or resources to care for severely neglected horses and asked for help placing them.

Currently Hope Animal Sanctuary is in the final stages of a complete renovation of the sanctuary and our friends with Mississippi Horses agreed to accept them. The Hope Animal Sanctuary team used their skill to humanely load and transport the horses. Aladdin had not been worked with and when he'd gotten out in search of food he'd been shot at and chased away, causing him to further distrust humans.

On Thanksgiving Day, the horses had much to be grateful for, as they'd been transported to Mississippi Horses' pasture the day before. Watching Jeffrey, blind and following the footsteps of his guide, Aladdin, both feasting on green grass and small helpings of grain, made our Thanksgiving.

Mississippi Horses may rename the horses, but for the time we spent with them we named the black Shetland pony cross Aladdin and the red roan Appaloosa Jeffrey. Giving names to rescued animals is that little moment when you can say, "Yes, they are safe and their suffering is over."