More than 320 people attended a fundraiser Nov. 18, 2006, to pay tribute to the veterinarians, emergency responders and horse owners who helped 41 horses and a hinny involved in a trailer accident two months earlier.

Animal lovers packed the Lakeside Cafe at the St. Louis Zoo for an evening that included:

• A documentary chronicling the daunting task of rescuing the animals;

• A slide show featuring portraits of the horses and the new names they have been given since their rescue — a presentation that drew rounds of applause from all those who had gotten to know each victim;

• An update on the animals’ health;

• And a silent and oral auction to raise money for the Humane Society of Missouri, which took responsibility for care of the animals and finally received custody of them Nov. 2.

Funds also were to be distributed to the Missouri Equine Response Service and the Eureka Fire Department Mounted Search and Rescue Team, both of which helped in the rescue.

The 42 animals were headed for slaughter in DeKalb, Ill., early Sept. 27 when their double-decker tractor-trailer overturned in the median on I-44 near Stanton, 60 miles southwest of St. Louis. They were en route from Stroud, Okla.

Those on board included a pregnant teen thoroughbred, a thoroughbred yearling colt and a number of other very young horses.

Sixteen of the horses were killed or had to be euthanized, and 26 were rescued and taken to veterinary hospitals or Longmeadow Rescue Ranch, the large animal branch of the Humane Society of Missouri.

A 13-year-old mare nicknamed Darlan’ was euthanized Oct. 19 because her condition was worsening.

The truck overturned after Richard Facinelli, 63, of Colorado, tried to awaken his wife in the passenger seat, according to Missouri Highway Patrol spokesman Cpl. Al Nothum. Ruth Facinelli, 56, was startled and pulled on her husband’s arm, leading to the crash, Nothum said.

In 2001, the USDA issued rules restricting the transport of horses to slaughter, requiring that horses be tagged with a bar code; horses be allowed to eat and drink not long before being transported; and stallions or aggressive horses be separated from others.

The horses on the van appeared to have been without food for as much as two days before the accident, responders said, and they were not separated.

A ban on double-decker horse trailers kicked in after the accident, 
on Dec. 7, 2006.

Speakers at the benefit included Earlene Cole, director of Longmeadow, who said said the Franklin County sheriff’s office awakened her with a call about 3:15 a.m. She in turn got the word out to as many people as possible, including Dr. Stu Robson of Pacific.

Robson, the first veterinarian on the scene, also spoke at the dinner and told the audience he was nervous approaching the accident because he did not know how much he would be able to do. His fears were put to rest as horse people showed up in droves with equipment that allowed the removal of the horses from the wreckage.

The horses initially were transported to the St. Clair Saddle Club for triage, where veterinarians from Homestead Veterinary Hospital, Fox Creek Veterinary Hospital, Equine Medical Associates and Mid-Rivers Equine Centre all assessed and treated the animals, then took the more injured back to their facilities for more extensive treatment.

Cole said the Humane Society had spent $85,000 for treatment up to that point. The figure had risen to $150,000 by January 2007.

It was an emotional evening for many, as items such as a necklace braided from the tail of Darlan’ were auctioned off, bringing tears to the artist who made it, as well as many others.

The dinner was put together by St. Louis Horse Heroes, a non-profit organization formed by the Humane Society and the veterinary clinics involved in helping at the accident scene.

In early November, Northland Insurance Co. handed over ownership of the horses to the Humane Society. In return, the society agreed to waive any efforts to recover the money spent on rescuing and treating the animals. The insurance company represented the animals’ owner, broker Charles Carter of Loveland, Colo.

As legal owners, the Humane Society would be able to put the horses up for adoption. That day came Jan. 20, 2007, when Longmeadow held an open house for people to meet 20 of the horses ready for adoption.

They were available for $300 to $1,000, depending on each’s value for riding, age, gender, color and other factors. The Humane Society also took donations for the horses on its website at longmeadowrescueranch.org.

Nestle Purina Mills supplied free feed for the horses at Longmeadow. The company also put together the documentary on the rescue that was shown at the benefit dinner. It was introduced by Dr. Scott King.