Florida: Abandoned horses found in separate locations across South Florida this week

FLORIDA -- A South Florida animal welfare organization came to the rescue of three horses found in bad shape in separate locations across South Florida this week.

7News cameras captured an older white horse getting out of a trailer, her ribcage clearly visible as she arrived at her new home in Southwest Miami-Dade, Friday night.

“It’s only a matter of time before she would have been dead,” said Laurie Waggoner, Director of Operations with the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Hours earlier, 7Skyforce HD hovered above the ailing animal as she stood in a field in Northwest Miami-Dade, shortly before the South Florida SPCA rescued her.

The SPCA got a tip that she had been left abandoned in a field and was in such bad shape, she wouldn’t have lasted much longer. “She came walking up to us, hungry,” said Waggoner.

Waggoner said this horse is the latest victim of a troubling trend: animals left to die, abandoned in fields.

Prior to the horse found on Friday, South Florida SPCA rescued two horses in Southwest Miami-Dade. Friday afternoon, 7News cameras showed Oliver, all bandaged up as he embarks on his road to recovery at the New Ranch, also in Southwest Miami-Dade.

“He’s very sad,” said Waggoner.

Oliver, an Arabian gelding, was rescued by the South Florida SPCA on Thursday after someone saw him wandering down a road near the East Everglades, in Southwest Miami-Dade. “He was abandoned. We believe he was abandoned,” said Waggoner.

The horse was found sick and starving, with sores all over his body. “He’s been neglected for quite a while. He’s probably at least 200 pounds underweight,” said Waggoner.

Summer sores are a common condition for horses in this region, but when left untreated, they can take over large parts of the animal’s body.

“You see a lot of bad things down here in South Florida, but these are some of the worst I’ve seen,” said Dr. Carla Munoz, the veterinarian treating Oliver.

Animal welfare officials said they have to rescue horses like these far too often. Back in May, the SPCA saved five horses from the brink of death after they were abandoned in the same area where Oliver was found.

As for the white horse found on Friday, it remains unclear where she came from or what it will take to get her back to health. “It doesn’t matter how many times you see it. It always surprises me that someone can watch this happen,” said Waggoner.

Waggoner said they found a dead horse in a field nearby when they rescued her and, if it weren’t for that tip, she would have suffered the same fate. “Thank God that somebody saw her and reported her, or as bad of shape as she’s in, it would have only been a matter of a week or two,” she said.

But the two horses SPCA rescued this week appear to be heading toward a happy ending to their situation.

With the help of medication and food, Oliver should be healthy in about four to six months. The SPCA will conduct a DNA test to figure out where the Arabian gelding came from.

Caretakers are also adding something special to help with his recovery. “A lot of attention here and a lot of love,” said Waggoner.

There are currently about 60 horses at the New Ranch. If you would like more information about the South Florida SPCA, click here.

(7News - August 4, 2017)

Florida: Horse that police say Darius Galloway was raping was a rescue horse that had been part of an animal cruelty case

FLORIDA -- The horse that was sexually molested RAPED by a Valparaiso man had been a rescue from Alaqua Animal Refuge and had experienced severe neglect and abuse early in her life.

Alaqua founder Laurie Hood said Athena, an Arabian mare, came to Alaqua in 2013 with several other horses as part of an animal cruelty case. Hood said the horse was neglected and abused, but gentle and kind with her rescuers.

“She was just the perfect horse to go to a family with little girls and have them dote all over her,” Hood said.

The family with little girls adopted Athena and took good care of her, according to Hood, keeping her boarded in a reputable stable in Valparaiso and visiting her daily.

But according to the Valparaiso Police Department, beginning in April, a man trespassed onto horse stable property and began molesting RAPING Athena in her stall.

Darius Shamod Galloway, 26, was arrested July 26 after authorities found him in Athena’s stall with his shirt around his neck, pants sagging and fly open standing next to the horse. He admitted to police that he entered the stable “with the intent to pet, fondle and masturbate to Athena.”

Shamod also said that was the third time he had been to the stable to molest RAPE Athena. In previous instances, he used cooking oil as a lubricant.

Galloway was charged with engaging in sexual conduct with an animal, burglary of an unoccupied structure and petit theft in the first degree. Police say Galloway stole a trail camera the horse’s owners had set up after growing suspicious someone had been entering the stall and harming Athena.

Galloway was released Monday on $3,500 bond, and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 6. No attorney is listed for him in court records.

Hood said she and other representatives from Alaqua plan to be at all of his court hearings.

“I think it’s important that the judge know that there’s a lot of people who take this very seriously,” Hood said. “I hope that he’ll get the stiffest penalty that he can, per law.”

Hood said the horse is healing physically and emotionally from her wounds.

(NWF Daily News - July 31, 2017)

Earlier:

• Florida: Darius Galloway, 26, accused of raping a horse several times

Florida: Darius Galloway, 26, accused of raping a horse several times

FLORIDA -- A 26-year-old Valparaiso man faces multiple charges in connection with the rape of a horse.

Darius Shamod Galloway of Okaloosa Avenue has been charged with sexual activities involving animals, burglary to an unoccupied structure and petit theft, according to the Valparaiso Police Department. The burglary is a felony; the two other charges are misdemeanors.

According to Galloway’s arrest report, the owner of a female horse that boards at a stable on Valparaiso Parkway noticed oil on the horse’s rump April 25.

Two months later, on June 20, she again observed oil on the horse, as well as a visible handprint in the oil.

A week later, June 27, the horse’s owner told the stable’s owner she had again noticed oil on the equine’s rump, as well as other likely signs of sexual abuse, the report said. A trail camera then was set up in the stable.

According to police, on July 19, the camera allegedly captured images of Galloway entering the stable wearing a long-sleeved, hooded garment with a “skull and bones” design.

He was seen on the video obtaining a folding chair and then standing on it shirtless behind the horse in her stall, police reported.

When Galloway left, his face was visible to the camera.

On July 26, the owner of the stable saw Galloway walk down her private driveway toward the stable about 11:30 p.m., police said. The owner contacted police, and a short time later, officers found Galloway in the horse’s stall.

According to the report, Galloway had his shirt around his neck and his pants were sagging. He had the trail camera in his hand, according to police.

Authorities say Galloway admitted to having sex with RAPING the horse, and that he intended to take the camera with him and use it at his home. He is being held without bond in the Okaloosa County Jail.

ARREST INFO:
Full Name: Darius Shamod Galloway
Gender: Male
Race: Black
Height: 5'07"
Weight: 220 lbs
Hair Color: BROWN
Eye Color: BROWN
Arrest Age: 26
Date: 07/27/2017
Location: Brevard County, Florida
Charges
#1 BURGL: UNOCCUPIED STRUCTURE UNARMED
STATUTE: 810.02-4a

#2 LARC: PETIT THEFT 1ST DEGREE 100 LESS 300 DOLS
STATUTE: 812.014-2e

#3 CONSERVATION-ANIMALS: ENGAGE AID ADVERT SEX CONDUCT CONTACT W ANIMAL
STATUTE: 828.126-3

(News Herald - July 28, 2017)

Pennsylvania: Previously convicted animal abuser and horse trader Phillip Price, 65, is convicted AGAIN

PENNSYLVANIA -- The Rhode Island man accused of transporting and then abandoning a lame white mare that was named Lily at the New Holland Sales Stable in March has been convicted of all five summary citations filed against him.

Following an hourlong trial in New Holland on Friday, Phillip S. Price, 65, of East Providence, was ordered by District Judge Rodney Hartman to pay $3,056 in fines and $10,178 in restitution for Lily's recovery-care costs. The judge also banned Price from doing future business at the New Holland auction.

Price was convicted of 3 counts of animal cruelty, a single count of dealing and handling animals without a license, and a single count of importing animals without an interstate health certificate that New Holland police filed against him.

According to a news release from the Lancaster County District Attorney's office, a prosecutor presented witnesses and evidence, including a surveillance video from the auction, that showed Lily - an Arabian / Appaloosa horse - was very thin and blind when dropped off March 14 at New Holland stables.

 

"The commonwealth is satisfied that justice was served and the defendant was held accountable for his inhumane conduct regarding the horse," stated Assistant District Attorney Christine Wilson in the news release.

Lily was transported from New Jersey to the auction where she was abandoned and found to be in poor health with paint splattered all over her coat. It hasn't been determined how the paint got there, according to the news release.

Her ownership was handed over to York County-based Omega Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Center which sent Lily to University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center for treatment.

 

She had uveitis, an inflammation, in both of her eyes when she arrived at New Bolton and had to have one eye removed. Vision in her other eye has been about 80 percent restored and she has gained about 150 pounds since having two days' worth of dental work done making it possible for her to eat, according to her owner and doctor.

Lily continues to be boarded at a private rehab farm in Kennett Square next to Penn Vet's New Bolton Center.

This is what he did to this horse when he was previously convicted of Animal Cruelty: 

 

This is the same horse, since recovered since being seized

(PennLive - May 20, 2016)

Earlier:

• Rhode Island: Cruelty charges brought against horse dealer Philip Price in Saunderstown
• Pennsylvania: Philip Price, charged in horse abuse case, was previously convicted on 8 counts of animal cruelty
• Pennsylvania: Philip Price, charged with animal cruelty in Rhode Island in 2015, pleads not guilty to animal cruelty charges in Pennsylvania

Vermont: Sarah Henrich, 60, and her husband William Seilonen, 63, charged with animal cruelty

VERMONT -- A Northfield couple is now facing animal cruelty charges after more than a dozen horses were removed from their property. The horses will remain in foster care until the case is resolved, which could be months. It is a costly process for the humane societies and their volunteers who are caring for the animals.

A total of 14 horses were taken from the Northfield home of William Seilonen, 63, and his wife, Sarah Henrich, 60. Now, animal cruelty charges have been filed against the couple.

Dozens of dogs remain on the property and even Seilonen admitted to WCAX last month, he didn't know just how many he had. It is unknown whether any of the dogs will be seized.

In an interview with WACX, Bill Seilonen says each of his horses gets a bale of high-quality hay a day, and he responded to allegations that some of his animals are malnourished.

"They are pure Arabians and Arabians do not carry the body fat the way a thoroughbred or a standard breed or the way a lot of other horses are. They are naturally a skinnier horse," Seilonen insisted.

William Seilonen doesn't think this horse is starving

"Well, since it is an active investigation, I really can't say. The Vermont Humane Federation provided assistance to the Northfield Police Department in this case and they are in charge of the criminal investigation and our role is to care for the animals which are essentially live evidence until the case goes to court and is adjudicated," said Joanne Bourbeau from the New England Regional Director Humane Society of the United States.

Each year, the Vermont Humane Federation gets about 500 reports of animal abuse through their website reportanimalcruelty.com. Bourbeau says very few actually turn out to be abused. She says most of the cases are rectified through voluntary compliance and by educating owners about animal care.

But when animals are seized, they must be held, sometimes for months.

William Seilonen spoke with WCAX and denied the charges

"For as long as it takes and that's really the issue, sometimes these cases can be months even over a year sometimes. There was a case in Woodstock last year where Lucy MacKenzie had to hold 23 horses for close to just about a year and then charges ended up being dropped in exchange for the animals being signed over to them," said Bourbeau.

Almost all of those horses have been adopted out to new homes, but shelter directors will tell you there never seem to be enough homes.

"Our system is bursting at the seams as it is, our shelters are filled with dogs and cats. None of the shelters here in Vermont have space for livestock either, so if you are dealing with a case that involves horses or other large animals it can be particularly challenging to find a place to be able to keep them," said Bourbeau.

The Northfield horses are being cared for by various rescues and foster homes throughout the state. Their owners are due in court Friday.

(WCAX - Jan 6, 2016)

Earlier:

• Investigations of animal cruelty continue in Northfield; more than 40 animals on the property

Horse breeder, Rachelle Peel, found guilty of four charges of neglect after animals found in 'serious state'

UNITED KINGDOM -- A HORSE breeder has been found guilty of four charges of animal neglect.

Rachelle Peel was acquitted of a further 21 charges relating to Arabian horses and dogs kept at her premises in Slaidburn and Tosside.

But a district judge said he accepted much of the evidence from prosecution witnesses about the conditions in which all the animals were found.

The RSPCA said the defendant was found guilty of charges relating to four dogs and 11 horses kept in an unsuitable environment, a horse with rain scald and mud fever and two horses with overgrown hooves.

 

It said it had ‘no other option’ but to take up the case because the animals were discovered in such a ‘serious state’.

Peel, 56, formerly of Brookhouse Green Farm, Dale Head, Slaidburn, but now living in a caravan in Tosside, pleaded not guilty to all charges but was convicted of four. She was fined a total of £2,200 and ordered to pay £8,000 costs and £80 victim surcharge.

The court was initially told of dead horses being found in fields where other horses were grazing and also in barns alongside live horses.

District Judge James Clarke said the charges he had convicted Peel of related to medium-term neglect.

“I recognise the fact that many of the animals were left in poor conditions for periods of time and their basic maintenance was not looked after,” said Judge Clarke.

He said he was particularly concerned about the failure to attend properly to a pregnant mare called Mouse.

He said while the horses were not kept specifically for her livelihood they were more than pets.

“They were being kept in large numbers as part of a breeding programme and for use in competition,” said Judge Clarke.

“People who keep animals in a professional capacity should be well aware of the standards required by good practice and ensure appropriate and adequate provision is made for the animals’ maintenance and care.”

Judge Clarke said he recognised Mrs Peel was of previous good character and had an unblemished record of owning and caring for horses.

He said the deterioration in the standards of care were triggered by the onset of serious illness for her husband Stephen Peel. He said he also recognised the significant impact the discoveries of the horses in March 2013 had had on her life.

“I do not underestimate the impact of coming to terms with the life changing illness of your husband, the loss of the tenancy at Brookhouse Green Farm and the fact that a number of your horses perished or suffered to varying degrees,” he said.

“A large number of the horses surrendered have been destroyed. You have lost a great deal and your life has changed irrevocably. You have, without doubt, suffered as a result of this journey.”

Judge Clarke said that throughout the lengthy trial Peel had demonstrated a persistent unwillingness to accept any shortcomings on her part.

“You saw yourself very much the victim and you laid blame at a series of others in how they dealt with you and your family and with how they treated the horses. There was in some instances an obstinate refusal to accept even the most compelling evidence of neglect,” said Judge Clarke.

He recognised that Peel had suffered significantly as a result of the events of March 2013, the ongoing investigation and uncertainty and the changes in her personal life.

“However, those who undertake the care of animals in a professional role have significant responsibilities to those animals and I would be failing in my public duty if the sentences I passed failed to reflect the seriousness of the situation,” he said.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “In judgment it was stated that ‘it was entirely correct and appropriate for the RSPCA to remove the animals’.

“That the court imposed an order of disqualification against the defendant speaks for itself.  The RSPCA rescues and finds new homes for hundreds of neglected horses every year and works closely with other equine charities.”

(Lancashire Telegraph - Sept 4, 2015)

Rhode Island: Cruelty charges brought against horse dealer Philip Price in Saunderstown

RHODE ISLAND -- A North Kingstown horse owner has pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges.

Seven horses were removed from a property on Railroad Avenue in Saunderstown on Tuesday after authorities got a tip they were living in squalid conditions.

 

After a month-long investigation, the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has custody of the horses that were living in the stalls.

"And their stalls were never cleaned for a period of 30 days where the waste accumulated to probably a foot or so high," said Dr. E.J. Finocchio of the RISPCA.

"The level of ammonia in there from the urine is not only bad for humans, it's bad for the animals," RISCPA investigator Joseph Warzycha said.

 

The SPCA said the horses were given hay and water and that despite being skinny, they were in overall good health.

The horses' owner, Philip Price, was charged with eight counts of unnecessary cruelty to animals and one count of dealing in animals without a license. He has pleaded not guilty.

He's said to buy horses from other states and bring them back to Rhode Island where he sells them without the proper health paperwork.

“So horses coming into our state without health certificates or certificates or the proper tests, they could be a problem for the health of the equines in the state of Rhode Island,” Finnocio said.

The SPCA said Price voluntarily handed them custody of the horses as of Thursday.

"It's very expensive to take care of horses, and we have to flip the bill to board and to feed these horses. We have already found homes for five of them, and we need to find homes for two of them," Finocchio said.

 

This is the same horse, since recovered since being seized

The SPCA said it was Price's responsibility to care for the horses. The property owner where he was boarding them is not responsible or charged.

Some of the horses were not removed because they were living outside and not in the dirty stalls, but the SPCA said they remained under state quarantine Tuesday.

(Turnto10 - July 14, 2015)

Vermont: DA's office drops TEN ANIMAL CRUELTY charges against rich lady who starved nearly TWO DOZEN horses

VERMONT -- A 64-year-old Woodstock woman agreed to give up her 23 Arabian horses in exchange for dismissal of all pending animal cruelty charges, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Marjatta Lavin, owner of Skyland Arabians farm, also assured prosecutors during court proceedings on Tuesday that she would not own any horses for a period of time.

This woman is NOT elderly - she is 64 years
old. When you say elderly, you think of some
frail, little old woman in her 80s-90s

“Ensuring that the animals were safe was more important than trying to gain a conviction of an elderly woman,” the Windsor County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement on Wednesday, the day after the state dropped all 10 misdemeanor charges against Lavin.

Prosecutors said they could have sought reimbursement for the horses’ care, but chose not to, “doubting Mrs. Lavin’s ability to pay.”

Under the agreement, Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society in West Windsor retained ownership of the 23 horses, according to a news release from the organization. They have been caring for the horses since their seizure from Skyland Arabians in November. The horses have been lodged at Green Mountain Horse Association’s Upwey Barn in South Woodstock, and are all up for adoption.

Lavin’s attorney, Daniel Stevens, said his client hopes to reach out to her friends and contacts in the Arabian horse community to aid in the search for homes for the horses.

“This incident was emotionally devastating for her,” Stevens said. Attempts to reach Lavin on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Lavin has raised (bred) Arabian horses for more than 25 years, and when her husband died in 2011, she continued to raise the horses at the farm, Stevens said.

Woodstock police executed a welfare check of the horses in November and found several with their ribs showing. Police later cited Lavin on animal cruelty charges.

Jeanne Matos, president of Lucy Mackenzie’s board of trustees, said the humane society is “tremendously pleased” with the agreement.

“(It) will now ensure that these beautiful horses will have the opportunity to live out their lives as they deserve — with a dependable supply of adequate food, water, shelter, care and love,” Matos said in the release.

Matos said in a phone interview that the humane society has been paying for the care of the horses through a steady stream of donations, and that several volunteers have stepped up to care for the horses.

Eight of the 23 horses have been accepted into foster homes by families that hope to permanently adopt them. The humane society is still seeking homes for the remaining 15 Arabian horses, Matos said, noting that the organization is facing a pressing deadline.

Green Mountain Horse Association, an equine competition and equestrian education site, starts its season soon, and will need their stables for incoming horses.

Tuesday’s resolution came less than a day before a scheduled two-day hearing where prosecutors were set to call witnesses to the stand in an attempt to force Lavin to forfeit ownership of the horses and pay for costs incurred.

Police had initially cited Lavin with 23 counts of animal cruelty, but prosecutors only pursued charges related to the 10 horses who ranked lowest on the veterinarians’ physique assessments.

According to police, indicators of neglect included a skin condition known as “rain rot,” overgrown hooves, dull coats, dehydration and other illnesses and injuries. Lavin had a 24th horse, but it was euthanized.

Lavin, whose late husband Edward Lavin was the CEO of a major telecommunications company, previously owned at least four properties in town, according to Woodstock’s 2013 grand list.

She now owns two, according to town officials and tax records: a commercial property at 61 Central St., assessed at $475,400, and the 91-acre farm on Skyland Lane in South Woodstock, assessed at nearly $1.9 million.

Ahh, here we see the reason that this 'elderly woman' was let off the hook. She has deep pockets full of money and has probably contributed a LOT of money to the local district attorney and/or mayor. Corruption in government is the worst kind. Would some poor person who did this to these horses have been given such a deal? Absolutely not.

Anyone interested in adopting, donating or volunteering should contact Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society at 802-484-5829 or visit www.lucymac.com.

(VNews - Feb 26, 2015)

Man is banned from owning animals for 15 years over one of the worst cases of neglect ever seen by the RSPCA

AUSTRALIA -- A Perth man has been banned from owning animals for 15 years over one of the worst cases of horse neglect ever seen by a top animal welfare agent.

RSPCA inspectors seized three Arab horses and a pony from Richard Robert Drozd, 52, in February 2013 after grave concerns were raised about their health and welfare.

One of the stallions was so badly emaciated he collapsed several times during initial treatment.

The chief inspector for the RSPCA in Western Australia, Amanda Swift, said the stallion was one of the worst cases of horse neglect she had seen in her 15 years with the RSPCA in WA and the UK.

During the RSPCA's investigation, Drozd, from Wanneroo, a northern suburb of Perth, lied to inspectors that a vet had checked the animals.

He also claimed he was unable to afford food for the horses after separating from his wife, but refused to surrender them to the RSPCA until months later.

After receiving treatment, the pony and one horse were euthanased due to unrelated medical conditions.

The other two horses have since made a remarkable recovery after 12 months of intensive rehabilitation by the RSPCA and been given new homes.

Drozd pleaded guilty to eight charges of animal cruelty in the Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday.

He was fined $16,000 and banned from owning or being in charge of animals for 15 years.

The court also ordered Drozd to pay more than $10,000 in veterinary costs.

Ms Swift said as an experienced horse owner, Mr Drozd knew how to care for them.

'The treatment of these horses is disgraceful and his actions completely inexcusable,' Ms Swift said.

'The good news is that, against the odds, two of these horses were successfully rehabilitated and are now in great condition and in loving homes.'
(Daily Mail - Sept 8, 2014)

10 Horses Rescued From Field in Southwest Miami-Dade

FLORIDA -- A group of 10 horses found lame and crippled with only rotten food to eat were rescued from a field in southwest Miami-Dade Thursday.

The horses, an Arabian stallion, two Paso Finos, two Paints and five Quarter Horses, were found in area called "The 8.5" in the 24600 block of Southwest 167th Avenue in Homestead, according to the South Florida SPCA.

 

 

 

 

The horses had only rotten tomatoes, lettuce, corn cobs and avocados mixed with packets of ketchup and mustard and other unidentifiable food waste to survive on, the SPCA said.

When rescuers arrived, the stench was so bad, buzzards were circling the containers of rotten food.

 



Most of the horses were lame or crippled, the SPCA said.

All of the horses were given proper food, clean water and safe shelter and will be evaluated by an SPCA veterinarian.

 

The owner of the horses is unknown.

Earlier this week, 21 emaciated horses were rescued from a ranch in Davie after they were found living in deplorable conditions.

(NBC Miami - Jan 17, 2014)

Woman accused of cruelty to animals pleads not guilty

TEXAS -- A former Oakland woman charged in Freeborn County District Court in March with mistreating horses has pleaded not guilty.

Theresa Lynn Halsey, 60, of Austin, entered the plea Thursday and invoked her Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial.

Court documents allege Halsey deprived three horses and a miniature horse of food and shelter.

Reports state a Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office deputy and a representative from the Freeborn County Humane Society seized three of the horses from her former address at the 23900 block of 885th Ave. in rural Oakland in January after deputies received a report of alleged neglect. The fourth horse had died the night before.

Court documents allege the horse that died was emaciated, with hips and shoulders protruding. The report alleges there were hay and a small bag of protein mix with a pail of weight gain at the property, but there were no oats, corn or barley. The report also alleges the open water tank for the horses was covered in algae and the ground was covered in feces.

Halsey said in a prior interview with the Tribune that she was shocked by the charges that allege she deprived the horses of food and shelter.

She hopes her name can be cleared.

Halsey said she and her husband had owned the horse that died for about seven years. Each winter it would lose weight and then regain it in the summer.

The day the horse died, she said, he had fallen on the ground with his front legs on one side of a post and his back legs on the other side of the post. He was unable to stand up because he was so weak, and while trying to stand up he rubbed his body against the post, creating a wound.

Halsey said the struggle of not being able to get up, combined with the horse’s weight and age, contributed to his death.

Halsey was arrested in November on a warrant for failing to appear for her initial court hearing on the charges.

The date for her next hearing has not yet been set.

(Austin Herald - Dec 8, 2013)

Earlier:

• Woman charged with animal cruelty

Everyone knew about their neighbor's horse slowly starving to death, but no one bothered to call Animal Control

Horse starved in Citrus County; animal lovers appalled

FLORIDA -- "I cried her name, I said, 'Mary, Mary -- how could they do this to you?'" says a sobbing Cheryl Pence.

She's talking about Mary, an Arabian mare she used to own. She saw Mary again Thursday afternoon, right before she died.

 

When animal control officers arrived at the horse's current home near Floral City, Mary was down on the ground, too weak to stand -- simply a breathing carcass.

"Deplorable, emaciated, there's really not a term for it -- it's beyond emaciation," says Animal Control Officer Terry Funderburk of the horse's condition.

The horse's owner, Tammi Kampman, was arrested and faces an animal cruelty charge. A vet says the mare's teeth were so uncared for, that she could not physically eat.

"It had no way to process the food put in front of it," explains Animal Control Supervisor Lora Peckham. "It literally starved to death, because of a lack of medical care."

 

The arrest report indicates that over the past year people in this rural neighborhood, including other horse owners, had offered to help the family. And Pence, who had given the family Mary four years ago so their girls could ride, begged to get Mary back.
 

"I said, 'but if you can't take care of her, I can take her back. I'm happy to take her back; I love this horse,'" Pence says.

But according to Citrus County Animal Control, no one called them to report the neglected horse.

Some residents told investigators they didn't want to cause hard feelings in the neighborhood and Pence thought someone else had picked up the phone.

[So Mrs. Pence 'begged' the owner to give Mary back to them, but when the owner refused to give/sell Mary back to her, she NEVER BOTHERED TO CALL ANIMAL CONTROL!!!!]

When 10 News knocked on the mobile home's door today, we were told to go away, so we don't know why this horse was allowed to suffer for so long. However, we did see several cars at the house and a bass boat out back.

 

"She took no action to get a vet on property," said Peckham.

Yet, because there isn't an indication of "intentional abuse", Peckham explained that state law allows only a misdemeanor charge. Kampman bonded out of jail on Thursday [Her bond amount was a pathetic $500].

Mary was so far gone she had to be euthanized and her former owner is now left with photographs of better days and a gnawing guilt.

Mary before she was starved to death

"She's in horse heaven and she's not suffering," says Pence. "But I will never do that again. I will never give away a horse again."

Mary had to be euthanized where she lay dying

Animal Control Officers say it's important for people to officially report animal abuse or neglect. And if owners find themselves in a situation where they don't have the money, time, or will to properly care for animal, officials urge owners to ask county agencies or area rescue groups for help.

(WTSP - Aug 3, 2013)

Earlier:

• Citrus County deputies say Tammi Kampan starved her Arabian horse to death over the course of a year