MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa. -- Local people rescued and adopted dozens of horses that were on their way to slaughter as casualties of the pharmaceutical industry.

Channel 4 Action News reporter Jennifer Miele said the horses are called premarin, which is short for pregnant mares' urine. The urine can be used as estrogen replacement therapy for menopausal women.

Foals born of the pregnancy were often put to death until the United Pegasus Foundation stepped in. The group rescued 30 horses from Canada and brought them to the Westmoreland Fairgrounds, where people will be able to adopt them.

"They're going into a big box stall and be well taken care of," said Barbara Waterhouse, of North Huntingdon, who is taking two of the horses.

The Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary will bring 19 horses to Connecticut. The horses will be adopted out for the cost of the transfer -- about $1,200.

"It's going really well," said Frank Weller, of the Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary. "We have done 200 adoptions over the last five years, and for each of those adoptions, only about one in 15 qualify, because we've done a lot of psych checks and we raise awareness about how these horses come to be."

While pregnant, many of the horses were chained to stalls and hooked to urine collection devices.

The drug made from their urine is declining in popularity because of reported side effects, which means most of the horses would probably have become dog food or packaged meat and sent overseas.

"They are eaten in Japan and in Europe, but we think they are much more valuable as members of a family, so that's what we are trying to do," Weller said.

Visit www.unitedpegasus.com to learn more about adopting a horse.

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