Emaciated horses removed from Mansfield farm, owner Kelly Schreiber, 45, charged with animal cruelty

NEW JERSEY -- A Mansfield woman was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty after the Burlington County Humane Police removed from her farm two emaciated horses - one with severe frostbite that could be fatal without surgery, authorities said.

Kelly Schreiber, 45, was charged after Humane Police acting on a tip found an emaciated 9-year-old thoroughbred gelding and a 19-year-old gelding who had not been fed in several days. The water supply for the horses was frozen solid. A hearing on the charges is set for March, police said.

The 19-year-old horse, "Sunny,'' was re-united with its former owner on Monday after Schreiber surrendered the animal. The former owner, of Williamstown, asked not to be identified, according to Armand King, a Humane Police officer.

  

"It's a good deal for that horse,'' King said.

The 9-year-old, "Toby,'' has a "gruesome frostbite'' injury and severe muscle waste and may not live without surgery that could cost up to $3,000, police said.

"Toby,'' was taken to the NJ Equine Clinic in Millstone, where doctors say his prognosis is grim without a surgical procedure. Humane Police are awaiting the results of blood tests to see if the horse is a candidate for surgery, police said.

The SPCA is collecting donations for "Toby" to be sent to the NJ Equine Clinic, 279 Millstone Rd., Millstone, NJ, 08535.

Donations can also be made to the Burlington County SPCA through its website at burlcospca.org.

(NJ.com - Feb 24, 2015)