Professor Maria Calderone attended a seminar at Eastern Kentucky University earlier this month on the subject. The program resonated with her so much, she said, that she hopes to teach the same thing to her students at Otterbein.

"The seminar was basically a guide for large-animal vets, wildlife veterinarians and emergency responders on how to rescue and treat large animals in critical situations," Calderone said. "The main point is making sure both the animals and the rescue workers remain safe, because a large number of people put themselves in danger during animal rescues."

Equine science department chairman Bruce Mandeville said the move into the new facility could happen as early as July.

"Everything has been moving along as planned. We have the roof on now, and the stables are up," Mandeville said. "Crews have finished all the exterior buildings as well; all of those are up and finished."

He said rooms adjoining the stables have been dry-walled and construction crews are finishing exterior aspects such as landscaping and working on the building that will contain classrooms.

Calderone said the idea of providing instruction in large-animal rescue at Otterbein is still preliminary but she has begun conversations with the staff of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine about a potential partnership between Otterbein and OSU.

"I would really like to involve them in this as well," she said. "I've just recently had meetings with them, so I don't have any details yet, but we feel so loyal to (OSU), because they've done so much for the college. I think it's a good partnership."

She said the department would go through "normal college protocol," which would include cooperation with Otterbein's grants office to seek funding.

Calderone said she envisions that the seminars would be partly open to the public and there would be a fee.

"We're not trying to make money with this, but to bring a community service," she said. "Some of this program would be available to the public, but it's pretty specialized. Primarily, it would be beneficial to firefighters, medics, veterinarians and others in the field."

The course at EKU covered rescue methods such as the use of sedatives, coordinating a rescue team, behavioral characteristics of large animals in stressful situations, basic rescue ropes and knots, containment of large animals, casting horses, interacting with law enforcement and legal issues, humane destruction, airlifts, hazardous materials situations and how to rescue animals from specific situations such as trailer accidents and barn fires.

"I want to do (the course) up here at Otterbein so badly," Calderone said. "Over the course of the seminar, we did a night search and rescue, where we split up into teams and found and recovered a horse in the dark. It's just so interesting."

She said offering a similar course in central Ohio would be possible once the equine science department's new complex at 800 N. Spring Road is completed. Crews began work last June on the 110-acre complex, which, when completed, will include five outdoor pastures, an outdoor arena for special events, an unpaved perimeter riding trail, a small cottage for a live-in caretaker, support structures such as a hay barn and dumpster, and a large primary structure that will contain classrooms, horse stalls and other supporting aspects.

Otterbein officials have said that once completed, the equine science facility will also offer services to the community, including possibly public riding lessons, summer horse camps, riding lessons and instruction for the physically challenged, horse-assisted psychotherapy, the possible creation of high school equestrian team and a shelter facility for residents' horses.