PARKER COUNTY — Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society, a rescue organization with several local members, needs some help.

And they’re counting on the horse enthusiasts of Parker County to step up and lend a hand.   

“All over the state, horses suffer because they don’t have feed or water,” Jennifer Williams, BEHS director, said. “I know Parker County is becoming the horse capital of Texas, and I know that there are many people who own horses in Parker County and others who just enjoy them.

“Our biggest and most desperate need is for foster homes. If fostering or adopting is not possible, we always welcome donations and volunteers.”

Abused animals are transported to foster homes, Williams said. The organization has no central facility.

Two weeks ago, Parker County residents read a horrific story about eight horses that were discovered dead from dehydration just outside Weatherford city limits. One was found hanging from a fence close to a pool of water.

A ninth horse, severely dehydrated, had to be euthanized. A veterinarian estimated that the animals had been without water for at least eight to 10 days, according to the arrest warrant affidavit for a woman charged with cruelty to livestock animals.

This is the kind of situation that BEHS, based in College Station, with some 575 members across the state, deals with on a regular basis.

The non-profit, established in 2005, offers help to neglected and abused horses and donkeys, bringing in 80 to 120 animals a year.

Volunteers work with law enforcement officials to investigate abuse cases. They transport animals, provide foster care and inspect prospective foster or adoptive homes.

In most cases, the horses taken are not abandoned, Williams said, just not cared for.

“In our last seizure a couple of months ago, the owners were crying,” she said. “They kept begging us to give them their horses back. It was heart wrenching.

“Those people — in some weird way — loved their animals, but were not willing or able to take care of them.”

Williams said the drought has posed the “worst possible situation” for the rescue, with the dearth of grass and hay discouraging those who would otherwise foster or adopt.

She said the organization’s $175,000 budget was $3,000 in the red at the end of July and had to be shored up with savings, an unusual situation.

“We’re really struggling,” she said, “and there’s more and more neglect.”

The organization will consider expanding their adoptive area to parts of Arkansas and Louisiana at their next board meeting, Williams said, and/or working with another reputable rescue organization outside state boundaries.

BEHS counts it a great success, Williams said, when they don’t have to remove a horse and can turn things around just by educating its owner.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

In a recent incident in Jim Wells County, for example, a sheriff’s deputy first reprimanded a horse owner, then returned later to discover the 3-year-old mare in worse shape than before, 300 to 400 pounds underweight with most of the bones of her body visible.

“He didn’t know if she was a palomino or a pinto,” Williams said, “because the color washes out when they are badly neglected and their hair becomes brittle and coarse.”

The owner surrendered the horse, named Galan, Williams said, and she was taken to a foster home, but a veterinarian eventually put her down.

“Her organs were shutting down,” Williams said, “and the best thing we could do was end the suffering. She could have been down for days before she died.”

Those who want to foster animals must first apply to become members of the rescue organization, Williams said, a process which can be completed online at a cost of $25 for an individual, $50 for a family.

Foster homes must be able to provide safe fencing, shelter, water and hay and grain for their animals, according to the BEHS website.

The organization reimburses pre-approved veterinary expenses and corrective farrier work, the website states, and will cover the cost of disposal if an animal dies.

Horses stay in foster homes as little as a few weeks or as long as several years, depending on the nature of their problems, the website states.

Shawn Wood and her husband, Mark, who live off Veal Station Road, have adopted two horses through BEHS, a 10-year-old Arabian/quarter horse cross named Charm and a 4-year-old quarter horse they call Ruby.

“I read about the organization in the paper,” Wood said, “and I like to help animals out, too. We looked [the horses] up on their website — they have a good website — and asked them to direct us.”

Wood said Charm cost about $450, Ruby about $400.

Both animals are gentle, Wood said, despite their previous abuse.

“Charm was starved almost to death,” Wood said. “Ruby has marks where it looks like chunks of meat were taken out of her.”

BEHS monitors the adopted horses for two years, Williams said, and will help an owner find a new home if problems develop.