California: Authorities seize 15 horses from Ramona property

CALIFORNIA -- County authorities seized 15 horses from a Ramona property this week after finding they were suffering from neglect, and the owner could face criminal charges, officials said Friday.

Three of the horses were taken Sunday and were between 150 and 300 pounds underweight, officials with the Department of Animal Services said. The remaining 12 horses were put into protective custody Thursday.

The animals were removed about a month after officers started investigating a complaint about the skinny horses, department Deputy Director Harold Holmes said Friday.

He said department officers had been working with the owner since April to make sure the animals had enough food and proper care. They ultimately concluded the horses had to be removed.

“We went back out and saw the horses had deteriorated and there was an immediate need for vet care,” Holmes said. “There was an exigency in the situation and we acted immediately.”

He said the owner was warned Sunday that if she wasn’t able to better care for the remaining horses, they would be removed as well.

The owner, whose name was not released, requested a hearing to challenge the county’s actions. On Thursday afternoon, the hearing officer sided with the county and the remaining 12 horses were seized that day.

Neglect complaints had been filed against the owner at least once a year since 2009, officials said. Each case was eventually resolved without the need to take the horses, Holmes said.

He said officers with his department are still investigating the latest complaint and may present the case to the district attorney’s office next week for possible misdemeanor neglect charges.

“It’s not illegal to have a thin horse,” he said. “The question is: What are you doing about it?”

Holmes said the investigation has shown that the property was large enough, and did have adequate facilities for the animals, but it appears there was a lack of food for the animals.

He also said the owner didn’t meet the department’s requirements to provide adequate veterinary care for the horses, some of which needed attention to their teeth and hooves.

The owner has two weeks to show she can provide the necessary care for the animals and, if so, she can reclaim them. First she would need pay the impound fees— which run $26 a day, per horse — and reimburse the county for veterinary services.

The 15 horses are at the county’s animal care facility in Bonita. If the owner does not or cannot reclaim the horses, they will be put up for adoption when they are healthy enough.

(San Diego Tribune - June 3, 2016)