The Day We Knew There Had to Be a Better Way

Stormy came into our family when my dad passed away, and we took over his care. He had already been part of our family for years — and by the end of his life, he'd been with us for more than two decades. He wasn't livestock. He was family.

When Stormy's time came, we made the decision we all dread. We had him peacefully put down at the boarding facility where he lived. We thought the hardest part was behind us.

Then the removal service arrived.

They looped a winch cable around Stormy's neck and dragged his body up into the bed of a pickup truck. It happened in full view of the boarders, the staff, and our family. It was shocking, violent, and deeply disrespectful — both to Stormy and to everyone who loved him. What should have been a quiet, dignified goodbye became something traumatic that our family still thinks about.

Building What We Wished Had Existed for Stormy

I spent 17 years as a firefighter and paramedic. My training taught me that how you handle someone in their worst moment matters — that process, protocol, and respect aren't small things. They're the whole job.

So we built Osborne Homestead Services around one simple question: would we want this done to our own animal? If the answer is no, we don't do it.

We developed — and exclusively use — a specialized rescue skid and harness system, paired with a hydraulic drop-deck trailer that lowers completely to ground level. The winch attaches to the skid, never directly to the animal, and loading happens on flat ground — not up a ramp. There's no dragging, no cables around necks, no trauma added on top of grief. Every removal is performed by two trained professionals, and every member of our team is TLAER Operations certified.

We are fully licensed in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. We host the same training courses that taught us, so other first responders and horse owners in our region can learn these techniques. And we run the business as what it is: a family-operated service, with my sons Gavin and Alex and longtime family friend Liam making up our crew.

Why We're Different

We are more than just a service — we're a family of animal lovers with horses, dogs, cats, and more of our own. We've now used these same techniques during the passing of our own animals, so we truly know what it means to need kindness and care in that moment.

When you call us, you're calling the people who couldn't forget what happened to Stormy — and who built this company so no family has to go through it again.