Disaster and Emergency
The Long road to Animal Rescue
Dr. Madigan can present on the topic of equine rescue by helicopter for animal rescue teams, fire departments, veterinarians and helicopter pilots. He has performed many emergency airlifts and wrote the first guidelines on how to airlift horses to safety. It is very important to have training prior to an emergency airlift and the correct sling, coordination of lift and receiving teams, and the appropriate sedation protocol in place for a safe rescue.
Helicoptor Rescue of Horses
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Above is a video they put together for the awards event.
How I Got into This
After leaving 8 years in private practice in Mendocino County, I became the senior clinician for the equine medicine service at a busy university referral veterinary hospital,- UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. I managed critical equine emergencies, including "down horses" unable to stand. These cases were particularly challenging, as horses, being prey animals, panic when immobilized. They thrash, sweat, cramp, and often worsen their condition. Many were deemed hopeless, but I observed many horses with drink and eat if you helped them to stand.
The slings available at the time were inadequate—uncomfortable for the horse and impractical for long-term support. The need for a better design became clear when I treated a young racehorse that collapsed post-race due to spinal cord compression. Despite initial success in lifting her, existing sling technology caused her too much distress, and we ultimately lost her. That moment cemented my determination to create a truly functional equine sling.
Partnering with my welder friend Charlie Anderson, I lead the team, including Richard Morgan and several others, spending eight years refining what would be called the Anderson Sling, testing over 40 prototypes. The final design helped downed horses stand and became essential in equine surgery and recovery. When I received the call to help five mules and one horse stranded in the Sierra Mountains, I used the sling for the first shuttle airlift. Today, it has been used on over 3,500 equine patients at our hospital alone and is widely adopted in veterinary clinics and rescues worldwide. This work laid the foundation for my later innovations, which are used in veterinary hospitals and also in field rescues: the Large Animal Lift and Loops Rescue System (Loopsrescue.com) —tools that continue saving lives in emergencies.
I was very pleased to be honored with a Distinguished Achievement Award by the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association.