MERS-Large Animal Rescue, 123 please ask, Saint Clair, MO (2026)

05/01/2026

On April 13, 2026, MERS Received a call about a cow trapped in a muddy ditch in Sullivan, Mo. A veterinarian was on scene and requested we try to extract the cow. A team of of 7 members arrived on scene. After assessing the situation, all necessary equipment was put on the Polaris and taken to the scene. The veterinarian and owners had pulling straps already on the cow so they were attached to the side by side and the cow was pulled out of the muddy ditch. Once out of the ditch the cow was pulled onto the rescue glide. The cow was secured to the glide and pulled quite a distance to a safe corral. No lifting attempts were made due to the cow being very tired. Hay and water were given to her and the team was released by the veterinarian. All equipment was packed up and the team debriefed. The callout lasted approximately 3 hours and 23 miles were traveled.

04/06/2026

On April 5, 2026, at 11 a.m., Mers received a call about a 31 year old horse in Lonedell Mo., that was cast in her stall with her head in a very awkward position. A team of 10 members converged on the scene and two members applied handcuff straps and rolled the horse from the wall. Two members applied the protective head gear to the horse, named Lucky. The team loaded all necessary equipment onto the polaris and moved it closer to the staging area. The team then applied a rear assist strap and another strap just behind her front legs and pulled her to a safer position and then rolled her onto the glide. The veterinarian on scene gave her an injection to relax her and approved moving her. The team pulled her from the stall to a lean-to area. Lucky attempted to get up but was very unsteady and fell to the ground. We pulled her to a safe location away from a wooden fence and began to assemble the A-frame. The A-frame was assembled and anchored in several locations. Lucky was then put back onto the glide and moved under the A-frame. Lifting straps and the spreader bar were attached and the lifting rope was secured to the Polaris winch. All members were in position and Lucky was pulled to her feet. She failed to put weight on all four hooves and after 7 minutes she was lowered to the ground to rest. After resting Lucky was lifted again and the team worked hard to get her to stand on all four hooves. She remained unsteady so we keep her lightly lifted, in case she fell. We moved her forward, backwards and in circles while still attached to the A-frame, in an attempt to get her steadier on her feet. Lucky was given some enticing treats, water and some green grass and she began to regain her strength. After about an hour and a half the veterinarian gave the go ahead to slowly move her into a paddock area. With the team keeping her steady, she slowing walked forward and seemed to be much sturdier on her feet. The straps and head protector were removed and she was turned over to the owner and veterinarian. The team disassembled the A-frame and loaded all equipment onto the Polaris and into the trailer. This team consisted of 4 seasoned members and 6 newer members. The team worked together well and precisely and all seasoned and newer members did a wonderful job. Thanks to everyone for leaving their Easter family shindigs to help out this wonderful horse. The team debriefed and headed back to base. The callout ended at 3:40 p.m. with 20 miles traveled.

02/22/2026

On February 21, 2026, MERS had their second training session of the year. 11 experienced members and 12 new and fairly new members attended. The new and existing members learned how to tie all the necessary knots needed in rescue situations, one member even practiced her handcuff knot on a very willing Corgi, how to identify all the equipment, apply the head protector on the horse, how to uncast a horse and extract it from a stall. They then transported our rubber practice horse, named Lucky, down a barn isle and through a gate into the arena. The team learned how to assemble the A-frame, anchor it, and how to attach the lifting straps, spreader bar and breast strap to Lucky. Lucky was then lifted and the team discussed the safety issues to both the horse and members. A question and answer period took place and then the team learned how to disassemble and pack all equipment. All new and existing members learned alot and we are extremely excited to have such a great group of people. We had two people who recently experienced a horrific rescue situation of their own, who wanted to come and learn techniques that they could pass along to their local fire department and local horse owners. The community is very lucky to have all these volunteers that give their time and energy to be ready to assist our communities when you need us. Our team is now full, which we haven't been able to say in a long time. Thank you all for your willingness to learn. MERS is looking very hopeful due to their participation.

01/25/2026

On January 24, 2026, at approximately 10:15 a.m., MERS received a call about a 26 year old Clydesdale down in a stall in Florissant, Mo. The owner had contacted a veterinarian and we instructed her to let us know when the vet arrived so we could get the go ahead to safely attempt a lift of the horse. The team got the go ahead and departed for the location at approximately 11:00 a.m. A team of 10 members arrived on location and began assessing the situation and unloading all the necessary equipment. Two members applied the head protector on the horse, named Belle. The horse was very active and kept trying to get up, which made it extremely dangerous for the members in the stall with her. She had a blanket on which required removal due to the straps getting too tight around her neck. The glide was taken into the stall and a forward assist was put on her to reposition her and to assist getting her on the glide. Belle was very active and it got too dangerous for the members in the stall so the veterinarian administered a mild sedative to help her relax. After a few minutes we were able to pull her onto the glide, without incident. The glide was then attached to the winch on the Polaris and Belle was carefully moved out of the stall and into the middle of the barn. The owners had a tractor to assist in the lift. The lifting straps were put into place along with the spreader bar and they were attached to the loader of the tractor. A lift was attempted and after some coaxing, Belle stood on her own. We kept her attached to the tractor and made her step forward and backward to ascertain whether she could stand without assistance. When the veterinarian gave us the go ahead we removed her from the tractor, removed the lifting straps and head protector. Belle was then walked to make sure, she was fully stable. The team packed up all equipment, debriefed and began the snowy drive home. A thank you goes out to all members who braved the 4 degree temperatures and very slick roadways. The callout ended at 5:30 p.m. with 136 miles traveled.

MERS is a non profit 501.c3 organization that is run solely on donations and volunteers. We are always looking for donations and dedicated volunteers to join the team.
Donations can be sent to:
MERS
380 Hawk Road, Saint Clair, Mo 63077

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01/14/2026

MERS, Missouri Emergency Rescue Service is looking for dedicated volunteers to join our team . We are a Large Animal Technical Reacue team. Why not make your New Years Resolution to join a team dedicated to rescuing large animals. If you are new to what MERS does, here is a quick explanation. When a large animal, such as a horse, cow, lama, pig, etc. needs a technical rescue like being extracted from a steep embankment, stuck in a muddy pond, down in a stall, in a flood, stuck down in a well, icy pond, or just about anything that you can imagine that a large animal can hurt themselves in, we work to free them from their unsafe area, attempt to upright them and work closely with attending veterinarians to help the animal. We do not confiscate them. We fix their current situation and then leave the rest of the care to the owners and vets.
We are beginning a new year with our first training session, Saturday, January 17th, 2026, from 8 am to noon, in Dittmer Mo., we would love to have you come see what we do and join in the training. We really need some new dedicated team members so that we can keep this 501.c3 rescue organization going. Experience with large animals is a bonus but not necessary. If you think you are interested please contact Suzette at 314-378-2241 for additional information. Our base of operation is in Saint Clair, Mo., but we travel within an hour and a half radius from the base. Yes we travel to rescue in Illinois also. Please think about making this your way to make a difference in both the animals and their owner’s lives.

12/13/2025

On Monday, December 8, 2025 at approximately 5:15 p.m., MERS received a call about a 25 year old cow in Saint Clair, Mo.,that had been down most of the day. A team of 8 responded to the call. A veterinarian had been called and administered medication to her prior to the team arriving. Upon arrival, the team assesed the situation and two members applied the halter and head protector on the cow. The cow named, Babe was extremely tame and lying on a rubber mat surrounded by hay. The team assembled the A-frame over the cow and anchored it to a pole, a truck and the Polaris. Several members got the cow ready for the lift by applying the lifting straps, spreader bar and butt strap. A lift was attempted but the cow would not use any of her legs to support herself. After 7 minutes she was lowered and put onto a sternal position. The owners did not want to attempt another lift. Babe was eating and was lying sternal and comfortable so the team disassembled the A-frame, removed the halter and head protector and packed up all equipment. The owners made her comfortable and warm in the hopes she would upright herself after we left, but sadly she did not. The team debriefed and headed back to base. The callout ended at 8:36 p.m. with 16 miles traveled.

11/10/2025

On November 9, 2025, at 3 p.m., MERS received a call about a 30 year old horse down in a paddock in Saint Clair, Mo. A team of 8 members assembled and headed to the location. Upon arrival one member assed the situation and two members applied the head protector on the horse. The horse named Ransom was dangerously close to a metal building and facing with her head downhill. She had been down approximately 4 hours and was believed to have been run through a fence before falling. A forward assist was applied to move her into a safer position. She attempted to get up and fell against a board fence. The fence was removed by the team and owners. Ransom was secured on a glide and moved to another location. A neighbor assisted by bringing over a tractor with a front loader. Lifting straps were applied around the horse and the spreader bar was attached to the tractor bucket. Several unsuccessful lifting attempts were made but she would not put weight on her hooves. The horse was lowered onto the glide and the decision was made to move her to a flatter location with better footing. Another lift was attempted in the new location and this time, after some coaxing, she stood up on all four hooves. The team kept all straps attached to her for support until she had rested and was sure footed. The veterinarian had arrived on scene and gave us permission to remove the straps from the horse. She was walked around and evaluated by the veterinarian. Ransom had a few cuts and abrasions and one nasty cut that required wrapping. The team was dismissed by the veterinarian so we packed up all equipment, debriefed and left for base. The callout ended at 7:15 p.m. with 15 miles traveled.

MERS Large Animal Rescue is a 501.c3 organization that is run solely by donations and volunteers. We are always looking for dedicated volunteers and donations to keep this worthy group in business.

11/10/2025

On November 8, 2025, at approximately 9:45 a.m., MERS received a call about a horse down in a field in Union, Mo. The 31 year old horse had broken through a fence and was unable to get up after the owners removed it from the fence. A team of 8 members assembled and upon arrival at the location, members went to assess the situation and to apply the head protector on the horse. The team assembled all necessary equipment on the Polaris and took it to the rescue site. The owners had a tractor with a front loader so the lifting straps were secured around the horse and the spreader bar was attached to the tractor bucket. A lift was attempted in the field. The horse was unable to stand so the decision was made to put her on the glide and take her closer to the barn. At the barn another lift was attempted and with lots of coaxing, she stood up. After a few minutes and when the veterinarian on site approved it, the straps were removed and the horse was able to stand on her own. Once the horse was stable the team walked her to the barn where the veterinarian gave IV fluids and much needed attention. Once released by the veterinarian, the team packed up all equipment, debried and headed for base. The callout ended at 12:15 p.m. and 36 miles were traveled.
MERS Large Animal Rescue is a 501.c3 organization that runs solely on donations and team volunteers. Donations and dedicated volunteers are always needed.

11/10/2025

MERS Large Animal Rescue would like to give a big THANK YOU to the Saint Clair Saddle Club for allowing us to set up at the show and donating all of the proceeds of their September 2025 horse show to us. Between the proceeds, donations made at the trailer and a large donation from the judge, we took home over $1000. MERS is a 501.c3 organization that exists solely on donations and our team of dedicated volunteers/team. Thanks again to everyone who came out to the show, exhibitors, families, volunteers, and the club for the generous donations.

09/10/2025

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the Saint Clair Saddle Club, located at 1285 Gravois Rd., Saint Clair, Mo. will hold a horse show and all proceeds go to MERS Large Animal Rescue. We will have our trailer and equipment as well as a team of volunteers there to answer any questions about rescues or volunteering to join the team. Dedicated volunteers are always needed. Come visit the team and enjoy a great horseshow. MERS should be set up around 11am and the show starts at 1 pm. Hope to see you all there. MERS is funded solely by donations and all team members are volunteers.

MERS-Large Animal Rescue

05/01/2026

04/06/2026

02/22/2026

01/25/2026

01/14/2026

12/13/2025

11/10/2025

11/10/2025

11/10/2025

09/10/2025

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