Ohio: 'Severely neglected' pony rescued in Lorain County; owner didn't care because she was going to sell to the Amish to haul to Canada for slaughter

OHIO -- She was lying in feces, surrounded by trash, more than 100 pounds underweight, and her hooves were painfully overgrown and bleeding.

That's how Friendship Animal Protective League humane officers found a 10-year-old pony on a Penfield Township farm in Lorain County.

The agency removed the animal from the farm, and charges may be filed against the owner, Friendship APL Director Greg Willey said.

Agency representatives named the pony Cinderella for her slippered hooves. Her hooves had overgrown and curled up. The pony was walking on her ankles, which is extremely painful, Willey said.

"That's a sign of absolute neglect," Willey said. "The hooves were filled with blood and abscesses that were rotting. I have never seen a case that bad."

Veterinarians had to file the hooves completely down, which was also painful, Willey said. Cinderella is on pain medication, and her hooves will take about six months to grow back, Willey said.

Someone who went to the Pennfield Township farm to rent a stall reported the abuse. Friendship APL seized the pony and a rabbit last Thursday.

The pony was nearly 100 pounds underweight, and her ribs and spine were clearly visible through her coat, Willey said.

The woman told humane officers she was trying to find an Amish man to take the horse to Canada to sell it for meat.

(Cleveland Plain Dealer - June 16, 2016)