So devastating. Praying for everyone involved and this poor horse 
So sorry to read this. Poor Waffles and his people.
George Knopfler
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That’s awful. I’m so sorry to read this, I came specifically to this thread hoping for a positive outcome.
Even though I know this is a somewhat unusual scenario, at minimum I hope it sparks a review of current testing protocols. It would be awful enough if they knew he was infected for sure, but with the cloud of doubt, I’m sure it makes it even harder to bear psychologically.
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Ugh. So sorry to hear this.
I’m so very sorry to read this bad news. My heart goes out to the family.
So sad for the horse.
Is it not required to test for all of this pre import? Did I read someone’s comment where one horse on their horses flight did not test pre?
Then you’d probably be horrified to hear of typical rabies bite protocol for unvaccinated dogs.
Also editing to say that the recent update sucks. I feel terrible for the family and for Waffles. This is a worst case scenario that nobody would ever think would happen to them. My thoughts are with the family and especially the kiddo being forced to deal with an unfair harsh situation. Nobody wins here.
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I feel so bad for this horse and family. That’s so much money spent, with basically nothing to show for it. For an average middle class American family (I don’t know if they fall into this category, just an example) that’s a sizeable sum.
Honestly, I’d cut my losses and put the horse down. Odds of him ever testing 0 seem to be slim and it’s terrible to keep a horse confined to a stall in quarantine for months on end.
I think $25,000 is a high fee for euthanasia, even including the managing of biohazard risks, but then again, I don’t know much about the actual costs involved…just seems high to me, a layman.
I do hope something can be learned from this very unfortunate situation. Whether it is process improvement or something else.
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Devastated to hear this. Poor horse, poor family. Euthanasia costs seem ridiculous. For anyone that has imported before, is any of this spelled out in the contract when you sign? I think this will keep me from ever importing a horse.
Frankly for $10k more, I would do whatever I could to ship him back.
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I wonder what the possibility is of having the US CFT test available overseas? Or if one can hand deliver blood to the USDA or a lab to have it tested?
Even if you pull the blood in a foreign country, then fly back to the US and hand deliver it to the lab to be tested, it would still be FAR cheaper than what this family has been through.
Would a foreign agency be willing to ship the horse back cheaper with fewer quarantine protocols if the horse tests negative on THEIR test? Just an idea. Once the horse is on their plane I would think their own country’s procedures would apply.
How sad and tragic.
I can’t believe Jet Pets wanting that much for euthanizing the horse? I’m assuming they must cremate?
Given all the horses that are brought into this country (or any country for that matter) whether permanently or just for attending shows, no other horse has ever had this situation happen?
If tested at the departing end was all good, how can a horse contract Glanders inflight, especially a flight that is less than 24 hours, assuming this was a straight thru flight from the departure point to the arrival point. If it was exposed in route then any other horses would have also been exposed. How would one know if good quarantine practices were in place at the shipping end thru all the travel points, i.e. horse trailer (or box), holding facility at the airport, airplane scrubbed after every flight etc.?
If there were other horses on the flight with this particular horse? Then the other horses on the flight would have also been exposed and be going thru this exact problem or wouldn’t they now that this horses has tested suspect? Wouldn’t they need to be re-quarantined and retested.
It’s a bad situation. It is a shame the horse wasn’t returned to Europe straight away, maybe the situation for him would have had a better outcome.
it is, it is mandatory. the horse was tested using the euro approved more accurate test before export. he was negative.
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Why isn’t the USA using the more accurate test? Testing should be exactly the same at both ends; otherwise, there is room for error with different testing, as we are seeing in this case.
Does the $25k include a necropsy to determine whether the horse did in fact have glanders?
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I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if this turns the kid off horses. She must be absolutely crushed.
Such a devastating situation all around. How many times / horse does this happen in a given year? Statistically speaking.
It’s my understanding that cremation in “normal” situation would generally run $1000-$2000 depending on size, location, etc. Add in cost of the drugs/vet call and transportation to the cremation location of say $500-$600 and you are still under $3k. So Pet Jets is apparently saying the protocols they need to follow will run another $22,000??? Un- f…ing- believable!!
Our general instinct is to fight all this, get lawyers and all that. I’d be thinking that in moments of anger and frustration. But realistically this is a middle class family who spent $30,000 or so to buy and import a horse. Since then they’ve run up bills that are in excess of that that amount so in the hole something like $70,000 ish and still counting. IMO they need to get out as fast as they can and move on. It sucks. The process is flawed. But to quote Kenny Rodgers “know when to fold 'em”. Paying another $10k over euth costs to ship back is not just another $10k. They would have to pay some type of board/training until this horse is ultimately sold.
Not a lawyer, but realistically the two antagonists are the US Government and Jet Pets, with which there was no contract. Trying to sue under these circumstances is likely to be a long and losing process.
Appaloosa Dressage, who went through this and posted here, was rounding up signatures to petition for a change in the protocol used by USDA; not sure what ever happened to that.
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I have been following this thread. Shocked and devastated for the family. I understand how once committed and so heavily invested it is hard to know when to stop and cut one’s losses but that this went on so long and incurred so much expense is mind boggling.
Without treatment how was the horse expected to recover? I know nothing about Glanders but if the horse actually had it wouldn’t the second/third/fourth results have shown an increase in the test result, not basically holding steady?
On the other hand why does the horse continue to test positive for something?
I am so sad for the family, caught in a red tape nightmare!
While we did gather 2000 + signatures and were met with overwhelming support and concern for our boy who was stuck in quarantine in Miami, what we did not have was the backing of an attorney to present the petition and the collaboration of other individuals who had been in the same boat to go to court with us. And, by the time our colt (thankfully) was released from quarantine we were so emotionally and financially wiped out by the experience all we wanted to do was rest and enjoy the horse we fought so hard for.
If the family wishes to take this issue to court or organize a petition, my sister and I would be more than happy to contribute to the cause in anyway we can.
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I am so so sorry for both the family and the horse. It is truly horrible for all concerned.
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the trainer in this situation. Though I don’t know anyone involved, the fact is non horse-savvy families often rely heavily on trainer advice in shopping for a horse. It is likely that in this (or similar) situations, the trainer recommended importing as a means of finding a high quality horse at a good price.
I feel very bad for the trainer because it seems like it would be a very painful situation for her as well.
Without in any way suggesting that the trainer here did anything wrong (because who would realistically anticipate this rare situation), now that we are all aware it can happen, I think it would behoove trainers advising families about importing to apprise them, in discussing the risks and benefits, that this type of situation can happen and can be financially disastrous. You don’t want to be the trainer who told the family, “You can save money importing from Europe!” now answering to them about an unexpected $50k+ bill.
I imagine there are other snafus that can arise with importing that should also be disclosed to families in advance, but I’m not familiar enough with the process to know what those are.
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