Animals bound for home north of Pittsburgh had to spend the night at stables in Allegheny County’s South Park after their trailer broke down on the Parkway East.
The three miniature horses, four lambs and four goats were in a trailer headed to Franklin, about 85 miles north of Pittsburgh, when a problem with one of the trailer’s wheels forced it to stop Saturday evening between Oakland and the Boulevard of the Allies.
To the rescue was Allegheny County Mounted Patrol Officer Dave Spinneweber.
“That would be someone’s worst nightmare,” Spinneweber said of the situation.
The animals were stressed as they waited for help alongside the highway.
“The county graciously allowed me to go out and pick them up and keep them safe,” Spinneweber told the Trib.
He arrived at the scene about 7:30 p.m. and led the animals one-by-one onto the county’s trailer and then took them to the county’s stables in South Park, where they spent the night.
“It was a memorable event,” Spinneweber said. “It was a great thing to partake in.”
A Pittsburgh resident, Spinneweber, 51, is a retired mounted officer for the city who now works for the county unit.
Although he works with horses, this is the first time he’s been involved in a roadside rescue, he said.
“It was unique in its own right,” he said.
He was happy to be able to assist the family, a woman and her grandchildren who were in the vehicle towing the trailer. They returned for their animals with a different trailer on Sunday morning.
“It was one of them feel-good details,” Spinneweber said.
6/8/19, PSP requested ACPD Mounted Unit’s assistance with a broken down, inoperable horse trailer along the Parkway East. 3 ponies, 4 lambs and 4 goats were transported and housed by ACPD until morning. Thank you Tpr. Dancho and Ofc. Spinneweber @AlleghenyCoPD pic.twitter.com/6EHS2dmlK6
— TroopB (@PSPTroopBPIO) June 10, 2019
