Two young Appaloosa fillies had to be euthanized because they were in such bad health, and three others have been put up for adoption by the Stamford Animal Control center. A miniature horse, also signed over to animal control, has already been adopted.
The owner of the Old Long Ridge Road property where the horses were found, Irene Lenihan, 56, was also charged with two counts of animal cruelty and released on a $10,000 bond.
"I would like to commend Sgt. Anthony Lupinacci, Animal Control Officer Tilford Cobb and other members of Stamford Police Department who had to investigate and observe these animals in such a fragile state. Sgt. Lupinacci and Officer Cobb thoroughly investigated this heinous crime and brought some justice to the perished animals," Lt. Diedrich Hohn said.
Lenihan's attorney Nikki Woods declined comment on the case.
Hohn said police were called to Lenihan's Rock Spring Farm on Old Long Ridge Road on Jan. 25 by a veterinarian who the day before had accepted one of Lenihan's horses for treatment.
That horse, a 3-year-old Appaloosa named Muppet, had apparently been starved and neglected, and the veterinarian called 911 dispatch asking police to check on the other horses at the farm to see if they were in trouble too, Hohn said.
Muppet had to be put down by the veterinarian because she was so sick.
Lenihan later told police that she had called the vet when she heard a horse kicking in the barn and went to investigate. She found Muppet lying on her side unable to get up and called the veterinarian in hopes of saving her.
Lenihan told police that she had had a death in the family at the beginning of the year and hadn't been down to the barn at the rear of her property very often, a police report said. She said she allowed Rodriguez to keep his three horses on her property, in exchange for taking care the others. She said Rodriguez came to the barn a few times a day to feed the horses.
When Lenihan and police went down to check on the five other horses at the farm, they found the barn in a "deplorable" state, Hohn said.
A second Appaloosa mare named Lacey lying on her side in her own feces, kicking her hoofs in distress and gasping for air, the report said.
Police called another veterinarian to the farm, who suggested that Lacey, who was four years old, also be euthanized. Lenihan gave permission to put the horse down, Hohn said.
The veterinarian told police she saw another horse eating its own feces because there was no food available in its stall, the report said.
Cobb was called to the farm as was Lupinacci and his investigators, who documented the condition the horses were in.
Inside the barn police found holes in the walls, wires exposed, doors unsecured and each stall filled with manure. Whatever water that had been left was frozen over and only a sparse amount of food was left for the horses, Hohn said.
When Rodriguez came to talk to police at the farm, he said he thought the horses had been poisoned. Neither he nor Lenihan could explain away the condition of the barn and why the horses had no food or water, Hohn said.
Both Muppet and Lacey had open sores, matted wet coats and bones exposed because of a lack of nutrition. The results of necropsies performed on both horses showed that both suffered from starvation, Hohn said.
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| These horses have recovered and are up for adoption at the rescue |
Of four horses left, two were found to be starving and dehydrated, the report said. Hohn said the farm has been the subject of neglect complaints in the past and had been investigated by the Animal Control Unit.
Cobb said three of the horses from Rock Spring Farm are now being cared for at New England Equine in Patterson, New York. The three are being put up for adoption by Stamford Animal Control.
Minka, an eight-year-old miniature horse that was taken from the has already found a home, Cobb said.
Up for adoption is Milagro, a five-year-old buckskin pony, Codi, a five-year-old quarter horse, and Apache, a five-year-old brown and white large paint pony.
Anyone interested in adopting the animals is asked to call animal control at 203 977-5166.
(stamfordadvocate.com - March 6, 2015)
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