THE BEST OF NEIGH-BOURS

Locals band together to remove dead horse from living room

A GOLD COAST couple had their neighbours to thank yesterday for ending an almost 24 hour nightmare that began when a distressed horse bolted into their living room.

Worongary retirees Richard Alroe and wife Jennifer Stegman were “beyond grateful” for the eight neighbours who helped with the gruesome task of removing the horse from their Albert Evans Dr property.

The horse, which had been put down by a vet the previous evening due to its injuries, was in the couple’s living room for almost 24 hours before the risk of Hendra Virus was ruled out and neighbours were able to remove the animal using tarpaulin, cable ties and a fourwheel drive vehicle.

Murray and Sue Dart, who live next door, helped take the living room sliding door frames off to get the carcass out without further damage to the couple’s home.

“I’d do anything to help my neighbours, even helping get rid of a dead horse,” Mr Dart said.

“If it wasn’t for the neighbours getting together, the horse would have been left to rot for god knows how long.

“It was quite gruesome but we had to do it and would do it again if need be.”

Wife Sue said Mr Alroe and Ms Stegman had been hung out to dry by authorities when the horse was left in their living room after it was put down.

“It’s not something that happens every day but luckily we were all there to help,” she said.

“I feel terrible because this happened at no fault of their own but they were left to deal with it at their own expense.”

Mr Alroe and Ms Stegman were watching the Suns take on Carlton on Saturday night when they heard scrambling in their backyard and found the horse running erratically on their deck.

The distressed animal knocked fencing and pot plants before it bolted through their living room and ended their quiet night in.

“We were just relaxing and I didn’t even get to finish my beer when the horse came in and starting knocking our furniture,” Mr Alroe said.

Neighbour Simon Bond came to their rescue after seeing the horse running on Worongary Dr and helped the

WE WERE JUST RELAXING AND I DIDN’T EVEN GET TO FINISH MY BEER WHEN THE HORSE CAME IN AND STARTING KNOCKING OUR FURNITURE RICHARD ALROE

couple restrain the animal for several hours until authorities arrived.

Police, a council animal management inspector and a vet attended to the scene where it was deemed the horse was severely injured and distressed and had to be euthanised.

Mr Alroe said if it wasn’t for his neighbours helping out he believed it would have cost him thousands of dollars to have the horse removed.

“I am beyond grateful that my local community and neighbours put their hand up to help me with something like that,” he said.

“They all rallied to the cause and turned up with their fourwheel drives.”

Authorities have identified the owner of the horse and are investigating the incident.

Richard Alroe stands beside the unfortunate horse in the living room of his Worongary house. Below: Neighbours remove doors to aid with the job of getting the corpse out, and right, damage done by the frightened animal on the property’s deck. Pictures:...