Im going to let excerpts from this article on our local tv station website speak for itself:
Animal control officers swooped down on a farm to rescue starving and sick horses Wednesday. The owners reportedly were warned this might happen and did nothing to help the animals.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said horse rescuer Carol Tover.
Rescue volunteers with the group “Hope for Horses” were saddened by what they saw as they arrived at the small farm southeast of Graham.
Pierce County Animal Control says it received complaints from neighbors who feared for the welfare of the four horses and the five mini horses. There were six of the minis but rescuers didn’t get here in time. One of the little guys died over the weekend.
The animal specialists say the horses are severely malnourished and hadn’t been given any veterinary care.
“They’re probably 250-300 pounds underweight,” said Jenny Edwards of Hope for Horses. “Sometimes those horses don’t make it because at that point, they’ve already started consuming the muscle mass and it may be very difficult to bring them back.”
The sheriff’s office says it had been out here several months ago to warn the horse owners that this could happen if nothing was done to help the animals. Deputies say nothing was done, so they moved in.
“They’re not in good shape, but they will be and they’ll get good homes,” said Debby Nilsen of Hope for Horses. “No animal should be treated like this.”
Deputies say the horse stalls and trailers on the property were stuffed with garbage. They found hay in the storage lofts, enough to feed all of the horses, but it had grown moldy.
The owners stayed in their home and didn’t come out to give their explanation of the conditions of the horses. The Pierce County prosecutor now has to decide if animal cruelty charges will be filed.
This is just part of the effort to bring these animals back to health. Now the journey begins to save their lives.
I cannot say anything about this case without being emotional as horses have always been dear to my heart.
We have chosen Hope for Horses as our first non-profit charity that we will be making regular donations to.
Please visit their website and if you can make a donation.
It takes an average of of 3-6 months to rehabilitate each horse at a cost of $350.00 per month per horse.
They also have a Wish List and would appreciate anything that you could spare.
Thank you.