The Central Valley Fire District’s large animal rescue program — launched in partnership with a veterinary clinic — was put to the test for the first time several days ago.
Jared Hardaway, a veterinarian at Hardaway Veterinary Hospital, runs the family-owned clinic alongside his father.
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“My dad was a veterinarian. I grew up in it, fell in love with it, and went down that path all the way through vet school,” Hardaway said.
Hardaway has worked with all kinds of animals, which is why he was quick to respond when he received a call on Sunday.
“The fire department just called me and said there was a horse accident,” he said.
Hardaway, Central Valley Firefighters, and Amelie Kuglin had joined forces earlier this year to create the large animal rescue program for Gallatin Valley. They trained for such scenarios in December.
“This is our first large animal call that we’ve been on this year,” Hardaway said.
The call involved a horse that had fallen off a bridge and into a creek near Airport Road in Belgrade. Veterinarians arrived first, followed closely by Central Valley Fire District crews.
“When we showed up, there were already quite a few hands there. So, more or less, our job was to come up with a few different options,” said Eddy Ivey, a firefighter EMT for Central Valley Fire District who was on scene that day.
Using slings and a ratchet strap, between six to eight rescuers worked at various times to pull the 29-year-old horse — named Dream — from the cold muck.
“The horse was not in great condition,” Hardaway said. “He was cold, hypothermic. He was still alive and with us, but his heart rate was really low, and his temperature was not reading.”
Vets on scene quickly worked to warm Dream.
“We had everyone get blankets on him, start drying the horse, and we placed an IV catheter to start getting fluids into him,” Hardaway said.
Dream was taken to Hardaway Veterinary Clinic, where he received care until Thursday, when he was returned home.
“The horse is bright and alert — eating and drinking,” Hardaway said.
Both Hardaway and Ivey said their December training helped them prepare for the rescue.
For the team, the program is about more than just rescuing animals.
“Every animal has a parent attached to it,” Hardaway said. “It’s nice to be able to be in the community, talk to people, and help them out when they need it.”
Both Hardaway and Ivey hope the community is aware of this resource and knows they can call emergency services when in critical situations with large animals.
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