Malnourished horse found abandoned on busy street. ‘Philly is no place for a horse’

A horse was abandoned on a busy Philadelphia street on Monday, May 30, by its owner who had just purchased him, officials say.

The horse is now in the care of Philadelphia’s Animal Care and Control Team, which said in a Facebook post that community members kept the abandoned horse “cool and safe” until its officers arrived.

Animal control officers said the horse, now named Darien, was “very underweight and will need some extra TLC.” Its ribs were visible in photos shared by the organization.

Horses are legal to own in Philadelphia, but Darien will not be put up for adoption yet because he needs medical attention.

“We are reaching out to our rescue partners about him as Philly is no place for a horse of course,” ACCT said.

The organization encouraged people interested in adopting horses to make sure they have the proper housing and care for the large animals.

Darien was “resting comfortably” late Monday, the organization said.

This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 11:16 AM with the headline "Malnourished horse found abandoned on busy street. ‘Philly is no place for a horse’."