Criminal charges are expected against the animals' owner.
"The only water the horses had was frozen," said David Lytle, a Humane Society spokesman. "And there are other problems there, too."
Lytle said investigators serving a search warrant also discovered a dead rabbit. The health of seven llamas also was being evaluated.
Lytle said the Humane Society received a complaint last week about the condition of days-old male dairy calves bought at auction for $1 apiece. At that time, the Humane Society seized three malnourished calves, which died over the next few days.
"That's why we wanted to get a search warrant for the whole place," Lytle said.
This morning, Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputy Morgan Guthner, who specializes in livestock issues, accompanied Humane Society officers to 34534 S. Dickey Prairie Road. Together, they searched the 45-acre farm, indicating they may not be finished.
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| Ora Stanily Mitchell |
Lytle said officials planned to file charges of first-degree animal neglect against 27-year-old Ora Mitchell and his grandmother, Judith Mitchell, who lives at the farm with his grandmother, Judith Anne Mitchell, 67.
Ora Mitchell denied that he was mistreating animals, saying he planned to hire an attorney to sue the county.
(The Oregonian - December 16, 2008)