Rescue Group Saves Animals From Drowning At Flooded Libertyville Farm
CHICAGO (CBS) -- When floodwaters threatened animals at a farm in Libertyville over the weekend and the police and fire departments said they couldn't help, a North Shore animal rescue group helped save the animals from drowning.
Hooved Animal Rescue & Protection Society founder Donna Ewing said she got a call Sunday from a woman who was crying, because the animals on her family's farm in Libertyville – a pony, a miniature horse, goats, and rabbits – were trapped by flooding, and in danger of drowning.
"She said 'Our little animals, some have drowned already,'" Ewing said. "She said it's supposed to have more flooding and they're never going to make it."
Both the police and fire departments had told the woman they couldn't help, so HARPS stepped in.
"When we arrived, I thought 'Oh my gosh, this is an emergency,'" she said.
Ewing and some volunteers donned waders and went to work, rescuing some animals in a boat. They used a sling to carry out the pony.
"She was terrified, but we just had to push her, and once she was in the water, she had to behave, and then we just floated her up to the horse trailer," she said.
The animals are now dry and safe at the HARPS rescue facility in Barrington Hills. Ewing said it was a moving experience helping out at the flooded farm.
"They cried and hugged us, and said 'We love you' after it was over," Ewing said.
