Pet Supply Store Owner Helps Coordinate Horse Rescue — Online

Amy Cirincione wanted to rush to the Manorville area and be there with many of her horse owner friends, who happen to have trailers and were able to take the afternoon off on Monday. But the lifelong animal advocate and owner of the in Cutchogue had a store full of people and several clients booked for grooming.

But, she also had Facebook. And from the moment she saw the first picture of the brush fire posted, she said her phone — and her Facebook account — were ringing off the hook.

“Of course I was concerned about everyone, but people can get out, dogs and cats can be easily picked up — but livestock is a whole different game,” she said. “I knew that there were at least 100 horses over there on farms, and there is no way to get them out without trailer transportation.”

Cirincione now owns five horses — but she no longer has a trailer. But she said that she knew that the most important role she could play at the moment was online facilitator to people who were at the scene, trying remove the

“The horses had to be blindfolded with wet towels,” she said. “Everyone – people, horses — were freaking out, but horses tend to run back into a burning stable. That is their safety.”

“I was the updater for all of my peeps that were there with trailers helping to evacuate the horses,” she continued. “I was on the phone and Facebook all day updating which barns and private farms needed rescue.”

Although many North Fork stable owners — including those on Shelter Island — offered to take some of the brush fire horses in, none had to. So many horse in Calverton and Riverhead took in every one of them during this stressful time.

“Horse people are crazy,” Cirincione said. “But everyone put aside their differences and worked together to make sure all of them were safe.”