PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two horses were killed and three are receiving critical medical care after a fire tore into a makeshift stable in Southwest Philadelphia Thursday morning. Several animals are now in the care of the Pennsylvania SPCA.
Gillian Kocker, director of public relations at the PSPCA, said two of the horses died in the fire.
SPCA investigators, around 7:30 a.m., rushed to the 5800 block of Lindbergh Boulevard, where firefighters were punching back at a raging fire that was consuming what officials say was a makeshift stable made out of plywood. The fire was under control about 30 minutes later.
“We found 12 additional horses, as well—three of which went to New Bolton,” a University of Pennsylvania veterinary hospital in Chester County, Kocker said.
“We did remove all of the remaining horses from the property,” Kocker said.
Three horses were rushed to the PSPCA’s Philadelphia headquarters. Four were taken to SPCA’s Perkiomen site in Montgomery County. The last two went to Last Chance Ranch, a Bucks County animal rescue service.
“ACCT Philly also took a goat and a pig from the property. ... The most critical horse … does have burns along its back,” she said.
“We will hope to get—I hope for a good update from New Bolton.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and it remains unclear who owns the horses and why they were sheltered in a makeshift stable on a vacant, city-owned lot.
“We always encourage people to report to … the city offices. If they see something, say something, as that saying goes—because they really are our eyes and ears out there.”
Anyone with information about the animals’ circumstances before the fire, the horses themselves, or their owners is urged to contact the PSPCA Animal Cruelty Hotline at 866-601-7722 or via email at cruelty@pspca.org.
The Pennsylvania SPCA is accepting donations to care for the horses on their website, pspca.org/stablefire.