Owner charged for malnourished horses at East Hanover farm

PENNSYLVANIA -- The Humane Society of Harrisburg Area said it has filed charges against the owner of a Dauphin County farm where the agency seized five extremely malnourished horses last week.

Rebecca L. Roberts faces six counts of cruelty to animals; five for each of the horses seized from her property in the 700 block of Laudermilch Road in East Hanover Township and an additional count for a horse that died after Rebecca Roberts was given a written warning last month, according to Humane Society executive director Amy Kaunas.

Kaunas has said about 30 horses were being kept on the farm. She said the five animals seized last Friday were in the worst condition and in need of immediate veterinary care.

She said the Humane Society also found four dead animals that are believed to be horses, but are so badly decomposed that necropsies cannot be performed to determine the cause of the deaths.

Kaunas said Roberts failed to respond to warnings to get veterinary care for the animals. She said the Humane Society is checking on the horses that remain on the farm to make sure they are getting proper care.

(WHTM - Jan 4, 2013)

Earlier:

• Five dead horses, five other horses near-starved discovered on Palmyra farm