Polk County Sheriff’s Office Donates 4-Wheeler to Local Organization That Helps Horses
by James Coulter
A local organization that helps abandoned, neglected, and abused horses can continue to help its steeds in need thanks to a generous donation by Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc.
On Friday afternoon, the Honorable Sheriff Grady Judd made an appearance at Hope Equine Rescue in Winter Haven to donate a new four-wheel vehicle to its facility.
The four-wheel vehicle will be used to conduct various errands at the facility, including checking on its horses to transporting feed, hay, and other equipment around the property.
“When we have a facility of this size, we need the right equipment to do our job efficiently, and Polk County Sheriff Charities have donated this equipment for us,” said Dani Horton, Founder and President of Hope Equine Rescue.
Hope Equine Rescue is a local 501 c3 non-profit organization that assists horses in need. Currently, more than 40 to 50 horses are being boarded at their facility.
The organization was named after Hope, one of the first horses it had rescued. According to their website: “Hope was tied to a tree with a dog chain and left to starve in a neighborhood where neighbors drove by her every day and never did anything to help.”
Hope Equine Rescue works closely with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), especially with its animal control division, to accept horses that have been abandoned, abused, or neglected. In turn, PCSO donates funds and other items the organization requires through Polk County Sheriff’s Charities.
“Being able to facilitate this and get the job done, to be able to manage a farm this size, we need all this stuff to make sure we get our job done efficiently so we can get these horses taken care of and adopted out into the community,” Horton said. “So, we are so thankful we can work with a county that understands that animal neglect is not okay, and makes sure these animals are taken care of, and placed in a facility where we can take care of them and live out their lives, and make sure they are not neglected again. We are all appreciative of that.”
Sheriff Grady Judd presented the new vehicle and its keys to Horton during his press conference at Hope Equine Rescue on Friday. He owed his ability to donate the new vehicle to the generous donations made through Polk County Sheriff’s Charities, which does everything from giving Christmas presents to at-need children and providing shelter and care to previously incarcerated women.
“We donate literally hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the community every year,” he said. “We are able to do that because of the fundraisers and the generous community that works with us…I want to see a tangible return with our community with our charity money.”
Sheriff Judd also used the opportunity during the press conference to address a hit-and-run incident that occurred earlier that morning where a vehicle had stuck a homeless person.
