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Northern Idaho crews extend kindness to Lady amid disaster

This winter has been rough in northern Idaho, with strong winds knocking down trees across highways and causing a week-long blackout in November, and a blizzard earlier this month, a smaller cousin to the massive storm that crippled the East Coast. Several regional areas have been declared disaster areas. In the midst of all the devastation, ITD crews showed extreme compassion, which did not go unnoticed.

During the blizzard Jan. 23, a 25-year-old horse named Lady escaped from her fencing, and died alongside the road at Season’s Hill on Idaho 41 in Spirit Lake. The next day, three ITD maintenance workers from the Coeur d’Alene North crew – Jake Burkey, Dave Freeman and Mel Fisher (pictured from top to bottom, above) — found the horse and assisted with proper disposal.

Her owner, Ginger Swisher, was overcome with gratitude and wrote the following letter to the northern Idaho office:

“During her life, she helped so many people overcome fear issues…she was the most loved of all our horses because of her kind heart. My heart broke when I found her missing. We searched on horseback and on snowshoes for a day and a half for her.”

When I discovered you picked her up, I was so relieved to know she was not out there suffering. In your kindness, you took care of her. I will never forget and will never be able to tell you how much that kindness extended meant to our family and our many friends who rode and loved her.”