Lieutenant Dan (Adopted)

Update on Lt. Dan 04/16/25: Thank you to Adam Duxter and WCCO News for doing this story on Lt. Dan! And thank you so much to Dr. Schwinghamer, all of the staff at Anoka Equine Veterinary Services, Winkley Orthotics and Prosthetics, and everyone who donated to help this special mini horse! We have had many people reach out about adopting Dan. We are happy to say that he will be going to a new forever home soon with someone who has been with him throughout this process, and who knows exactly what he needs and what to watch for to ensure that Dan continues to live his best life.
Update on Dan: Dan’s custom  had his custom prosthetic leg was finally finished and fitted March 25th. We want to thank Winkley Orthotics and Prosthetics and Anoka Equine Veterinary Services for all of their help in this situation. Dan is doing very well. Radiographs show no signs of laminitis in his 3 remaining hooves, which is a huge factor in his positive prognosis. From MHARF director Drew Fitzpatrick: “How he healed by himself, didn’t get eaten by predators, bred mares, and gave us a hard time trying to round him up is a testament to his resilience! Most of an equine’s weight is carried on the forehand, when he moved at a run he was smooth but walking and turning was awkward. Radiographs show no laminitis in any hoof. Lt. Dan is a lightweight pony, that has made the difference.” We will continue to work with Dan’s veterinarians to closely monitor his condition and comfort. So far everything looks very positive!
Lieutenant Dan is a 2020 miniature stallion who came to us from a January 2025 Carlton County case. He is MISSING the lower part of his left hind leg and has been living this way for at least a couple of years. We started his care by doing complete discovery vetting to determine the best way to proceed (a prosthetic specialist is included in the process) in order to provide him with the most humane care possible and to do what is in his best interest. He was sedated, radiographed, and his leg stump was bandaged for protection after a cast was made of it to make a prosthetic. He also had blood pulled for a general workup and Coggin’s testing. The big news to come out of the exam is the fact that he has bullet fragments in one of his front legs (seen on radiographs) which makes us suspect that this may be related to his missing hind leg as well.  This little guy is truly a survivor! Thank you so much to everyone at Anoka Equine Veterinary Services for taking such an interest in Lt. Dan’s case and helping to make sure he receives what he needs with their excellent care. His comfort is our main concern and so far he seems to be doing quite well with his prosthetic.
Dan’s care won’t be cheap, but this little fighter has made it so far already and we want to give him every chance. If you would like to help out on this journey, donations are greatly appreciated!