HARRISON — A horse seriously injured last November by a hit-and-run driver was put down in December because of its injuries, the horse’s owners revealed over the weekend.
The hit-and-run driver has yet to be found.
Owner Ann Crandall said the horse, named Surprise, had been euthanized shortly before Christmas. She wrote in a Facebook post that she was finally ready to share the news.
Calumet County Sheriff’s Office investigators are still searching for a suspect and say the vehicle likely is a Ford truck and is missing the front grill and has a damaged headlight assembly.
This grill from a Ford pickup was left at the scene.
Anyone with information should call the Calumet County Sheriff’s Office, 920-849-2335. You can remain anonymous by calling Crimestoppers at 1-877-765-8327, if you have any information that would be helpful to this investigation.
Crandall said Surprise was hit Nov. 6, 2022 when an unknown vehicle drove through their horse pasture at a high rate of speed causing a heavy hay feeder to strike the horse, damaging her front legs, her head and ripping open her right shoulder.
Veterinarians at Great Lake Vets spent three hours sewing Surprise’s wounds, examining and medicating her following the incident.
After six weeks, Surprise’s leg wounds were healing great but the shoulder wound although healing, left a huge open area and she had nerve damage in her right leg.
Her balance was off, she had lost weight, and Crandall says they had to keep Surprise separate from the the geldings, which she hated.
“We made a tough decisions before Christmas to put her down as we couldn’t take the chance something bad could happen to her in the winter cold and we wouldn’t be close by,” Crandall wrote.
It was one of the hardest decisions they say the ever had to make, but the veterinarians were very supportive.
“If the person who was responsible for this accident sees this post I hope you carry the guilt of what you did for the rest of your life,” Crandall wrote. “If this is how you handle life, you will continue to cause tragedy as long as you live and not take responsibility.”
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