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NEW YORK, Aug 20, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Actress Whoopi Goldberg has adopted a New York Police Department horse that was injured when he ran into traffic.
Ferguson, a 14-year-old gelding, is the second retired police horse the Oscar-winning actress has adopted, the New York Daily News reported. A spokesman for Goldberg confirmed she's given two NYPD mounts a new home, but declined to discuss any details.
Ferguson was hit by two cars in February. His handlers were puzzled by the sudden panic attack because he was known as a calm and steady presence ever since he joined the NYPD in 1999, police said.
He suffered a broken nose and a hairline jaw fracture, and had to put up with a tracheotomy tube to help him breathe while his nose healed. After he recuperated, doctors and mounted officers decided it was best for him to retire.
In the past, retired police mounts have been sent to a farm in upstate New York. That arrangement was scrapped once police realized the farmer was reneging on part of the deal by making the retired beasts do some work to earn their keep, the newspaper said.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
