A common practice in Belize is for horse owners to tie their animals to trees near roads. This has resulted in problems such as horses getting the ropes around their legs and being injured or cutting off circulation to that limb. In the latest incident, a mare got into the highway and was struck by a pickup truck. The driver reported the incident, and a veterinarian was forced to euthanatize the mare due to the extent of his injuries, according to a report on Channel 5 Belize (https://new.channel5belize.com/archive_detail_story.php?story_id=17875).

The television report was aired on Jan. 30, said Belize Humane Society officials were angry and said it was a disgrace to leave an animal in such pain on the side of the road. The mare was injured on Jan. 29 at night, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that motorists complained that the injured horse was still on the side of the road. A veterinarian was called in to euthanitize the mare because of a badly broken right foreleg.