Texas: Emily Sue Vaughan, 50, charged with animal cruelty for her horse that was "emaciated beyond the point of imagination"

TEXAS -- A Waco woman faces a charge of cruelty to livestock animals after authorities found a horse on her property they deemed so sick that they had to euthanize it, according to police.

Emily Sue Vaughan, who was released from McLennan County Jail after posting a $3,000 bond Wednesday, acknowledged that the animal was ill, but contended it was under the care of a veterinarian who had been monitoring the horse to determine when would be best to euthanize it.

Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said authorities were called to an area near Vaughan’s property at 2101 Madera Drive to check on a loose horse Saturday afternoon.

An officer found a malnourished, dehydrated and sick bay gelding horse with an infection in its leg that was so swollen the skin had burst, according to court documents filed in the case.

Swanton described the horse as being in deplorable condition and “emaciated beyond the point of imagination.”

After inspecting the nearby pen where the horse had escaped, the officer saw three other horses — two that appeared to be in good health, and one that also looked emaciated — as well as a donkey, Swanton said.

There was no food or water available to any of the animals, according to the spokesman.

Animal control officers and supervisors were called to the scene.

Decision to shoot

The horse, which appeared to be in a great deal of pain, was in such poor condition it would not have been able to get into a trailer and be taken anywhere for treatment, Swanton said.

Officials agreed that the horse was dying. After unsuccessful attempts to contact a veterinarian, it was determined the most humane thing to do was to shoot it, he said.

“This is not something we like to do, but it was the right thing to do,” Swanton said. “These kinds of cases are few and far between that an officer has to take that kind of action to end the suffering of an animal because of neglect.”

It was not clear how long the animals had gone without food or water, according to the spokesman.

Swanton said that when officers contacted Vaughan, she told them she had been unable to go to the property and care for them recently.

She also told them that the two horses that appeared emaciated had been given to her to “put them out on the land and let them die peacefully,” the spokesman said.

Checking the animals

Vaughan, 50, denied those allegations Wednesday, saying she had several people who helped her check on the horses several times a day, that they were fed properly and that she was never leaving the horses to die.

Vaughan also said she was given the two horses in failing health because she could care for them, while their previous owners were unable to keep up with the veterinarian bills.

She pointed to two other horses in her care, which she described as “fat and healthy,” as proof that she was not negligent.

“This is just such a big part of my life,” Vaughan said. “I’m very upset about this.”

Because the horses are not in imminent danger, authorities are monitoring their care with daily visits as they continue to investigate the case, Swanton said.

(Waco Tribune - July 12, 2012)