New home for seized, abandoned horses opening in Habersham Co.

ALTO - State officials will formally open a new facility in north Georgia to house abandoned and abused horses.

Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday at the Lee Arrendale Equine Impound Facility in Alto.

The new facility cares for horses that have been voluntarily abandoned by owners who were unable to care for them. It also shelters abused or malnourished horses that have been seized by state authorities. It's the fourth such facility in Georgia.

Inmates at Arrendale State Prison help staff the facility, which is roughly 20 miles northeast of Gainesville. The training that the inmates receive is designed to qualify them for work as veterinary assistants and animal caregivers.