Michigan: Frankenmuth Carriage Company cleared by animal control after complaints of neglect

MICHIGAN -- Saginaw County animal control provided a clean bill of health for local horses after questions arose about their condition following social media posts.

The posts stemmed from a former employee of the Frankenmuth Carriage Company who expressed concern that, in her view, the horses were being mistreated.

TV5 was there on Friday when animal control inspected the horses. Officers concluded they found nothing wrong with the horses.

Animal Control Director Lisa Stoffel said she would document the case because of the recent public uproar.

Patience Atwood worked for the Frankenmuth Carriage Company from September 2016 through December 2016 and again from June 2017 through August 2017.

She took to Facebook on Dec. 28, 2017 with her allegations for how the company treated its horses. Her post garnered quite the reaction from the Mid-Michigan community, but has since been taken down.

 

 

Atwood insisted the horses were being overworked for their age during her first stint with the company. Her allegations were discredited by animal control on Friday.

She said she and her coworkers took their concerns to the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce, but were told there was nothing that could be done.

Atwood said the worst problem she saw was cracked hooves on the horses, which she said is extremely painful for the horses to be on concrete all day.

*  *  *  *  *  *

At least four former employees at Frankenmuth Carriage Co. have made accusations, including one in a detailed Facebook post Thursday.

Gabrielle Ohearn is one of the former employees who worked there from August 2016 to October 2017. She claims the owner did nothing when employees voiced their concerns of abuse and neglect.

"Most of them are videos and pictures we had sent to the owner to tell her that they were lame or this was going on," Ohearn said while showing videos and pictures of the horses. "And, some were acknowledged and some were just blown off."

 

She alleges the horses have poor living conditions, cracked horseshoes and chronic pain.

Ohearn took a photo of a horse's hoof that appears to be missing about half of its shoe. Other photos show sores and cracks on the horses' hooves.

"Usually just whenever somebody threw a shoe she'd have to wait around and call a farrier, where most people, they're on a set schedule, usually 6-8 weeks depending on how fast the horse's hoof grows," she said. "But it depends on the individual horse."

*  *  *  *  *  *

The owner of the Frankenmuth Carriage Company, Katrina Canfield, said her horses are healthy and in good condition. She had animal control come out to verify her horses were in good condition, an assertion animal control confirmed on Friday.

I don't think this issue has been resolved. Animal Control officers have a certain specialized knowledge, but they are not experts in everything. 

Animal Control, to put this issue to rest, should have involved a veterinarian to examine each animal, find out their work schedule, rest schedule, speak with the veterinarians who treat and examine these animals, to determine if they are being overworked - or not. 

Note: I'm definitely NOT discounting the important job that animal control officers do, but I am saying there are limits to their knowledge and in a case like this, regarding a business that relies on a lot of tourism dollars, I think a licensed veterinarian needs to make the determination regarding the allegations since so many (at least four) former employees have spoken up. 

I also don't have a problem with animals being utilized for businesses like this - as long as the animals are properly being cared for. Most of them are, but there are cases in which owners are possibly having financial problems and so the animals get a bit less food, or the farrier comes less often, or the animals are working double shifts, etc. In those cases, it's neglectful but not necessarily criminal in which animals need to be seized. It may be that the animals are checked, the owner put on notice to properly care for the animals, and then everything is fine after that. If continued complaints come in, authorities have a paper trail to show a pattern of neglectful behavior... if it should come to the point of them charging the owner for criminal neglect.

Hopefully, with the attention brought to Frankenmuth Carriage Company, owner Katrina Canfield will ensure that her animals are well care for so that her business is seen as "one of the good ones". 

Is this the same Katrina Canfield of Frankenmuth,

Michigan, owner of Frankenmuth Carriage Company

(WNEM - Dec 29, 2017)

United Kingdom: Owner runs off with his Pit Bull after it attacks horse pulling carriage and riders

UNITED KINGDOM -- Operators of the iconic horse and carriage rides at Cockington Village in Torquay are appealing for information after one of their horses was attacked by a Pit Bull while on a tour around the village last week.

Kirk Petrakis, who runs the K & H Cockington Carriages with his wife Hannah, took to Facebook to appeal for anyone with information about the attack to speak to the police.

K&H Cockington Carriages took a six-year lease on stables in the village and restarted the popular carriage rides through Cockington Court last year.

One of the company’s horses, Nugget, was pulling a carriage on a tour ride on Wednesday when he was attacked by a Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier.

“A black Staffordshire Bull Terrier terrorized Nugget during a tour ride in Cockington Country Park,” Kirk said. “Nugget remained calm, as he is a professional horse, but could not defend himself had the dog latched on.

“This dog caused our passengers great distress and it was very aggressive and clearly out of control, the owner of this dog was nowhere in sight, eventually a man grabbed the dog saying it was not his.”

In a post on the K & H Cockington Carriages Facebook page, the operators made it clear that they have no problems with dogs, or Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Kirk continued: “We want to make it clear this post is not against the breed as we have owned one ourselves, which was very gentle and submissive.

“Generally most dog's in Cockington are very well behaved, please share this post, so owners have a better understanding. The police have been informed and are taking it seriously.”

Police confirmed that they are investigating the incident, which took place on Wednesday afternoon.

A police spokesperson said: “We are investigating an incident where a dog was reported as being dangerously out of control in Cockington Village between 2.45pm and 3.15pm on Wednesday, August 23.

“A Staffordshire Bull terrier approached a horse and carriage. The dog was reported as behaving aggressively and had to be chased away from the horses on a number of occasions. The riders feared it would attack the horses.

PIT BULL OWNER FLED WITH VICIOUS DOG

“A man, who said he was looking after the dog, appeared and was struggling to restrain it. He did remove the animal from the scene [and fled].”

The horses are one of Torbay’s most famous tourist attractions, and the Cockington Carriage Company had been running in the picturesque village for more than 60 years before it closed in 2014 following the death of popular carriage driver Rick Passmore in 2013.

Anyone with information about this attack is asked to contact the police on 101 quoting crime reference CR071655-17 of August 23.

(Devon Live - August 29, 2017)

Pennsylvania: No jail time for Marvin Sensenig, 20, who beat, kicked and punched his overloaded, exhausted horse on public road in front of everyone

PENNSYLVANIA -- An Ephrata man has pleaded guilty to cruelty counts after police say he beat an overburdened horse on the side of a country road, ultimately leading to the animal's death.

The man, 20-year-old Marvin Sensenig of Ephrata, pleaded guilty to two summary counts of animal cruelty in front of a borough district judge on Monday.

The charges carry more than $700 in fines and court costs, online records show. No jail time has been ordered.

The case drew widespread attention and provoked widespread outrage after a bystander posted her account of the incident to Facebook.

The post belonged to Tawn Crowther of Lancaster and has been shared tens of thousands of times since it was posted to her page last week.

According to Crowther's account, she watched as Sensenig "walked beside the horse and beat it until it fell to the [ground]," adding "At that point he continued to kick, hit and pull on the poor seemingly dying animal. I pulled over and called the police."

They came to evaluate the situation, only to tell me that they are unsure of the outcome. Because Amish are governed under a different law. Are you kidding? Isn't abuse standard across the board? So if I decide to beat and kill animals I need to change my religion to be above the law?!? Are you telling me the police are powerless against the Amish?!?

Her post includes still frames from a video that appears to show a man in Plain Sect clothing, likely Sensenig, leaning over a horse in a roadway.

According to a police account, "Sensenig used one horse to pull a farm wagon with a burden too great for a single horse. The horse became overheated due to the hot temperatures and collapsed onto the asphalt."

It continues: "Sensenig then was seen kicking the horse in the abdomen and the back of the head, and punching the horse in the head."

The incident was reported at Bethany Road near Brossman Road in the borough around noon on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Officers arriving at the scene said they found the horse lying in the roadway and a bystander claiming the horse's handler, later identified as Sensenig, had beaten the animal after it failed to pull a load of watermelons and two grown men up the road.

Fire officials sprayed the animal with water in an attempt to keep it cool, but the decision was ultimately made to euthanize the horse. Court documents say the animal died "as a result of the conditions created by [Sensenig]."

With Sensenig's guilty plea entered there is no further action scheduled in the case. It is not clear if his guilty plea will impact his ability to own animals in the future.

Police issued a statement denying
that the officer said Amish don't
have to abide by the law. So
they're calling the witness a liar.

In Pennsylvania, a summary offense carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $300 fine, while an animal cruelty summary count carries up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $750, the SPCA reports.

The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office gave the following response EXCUSE when asked why no jail time was sought for Sensenig, saying the decision was left to the discretion of a local judge instead.

"There is nothing inappropriate about the disposition in this case. The legislature has determined these crimes are among the lowest graded offenses - summary citations. Summaries can carry maximum 90-day prison sentences, but prison is rarely ordered, particularly when dealing with first-time offenders who take immediate responsibility. We did not request prison; rather, left it at the discretion of the judge."

Shame on you Lancaster County.

(PennLive - August 11, 2016)

Earlier:

• Pennsylvania: Police investigating after woman sees Amish man beating exhausted horse
• Pennsylvania: Amish man Marvin Sensenig, 20, charged with animal cruelty after beating horse on road

Pennsylvania: Amish man Marvin Sensenig, 20, charged with animal cruelty after beating horse on road

PENNSYLVANIA -- An Amish man was charged with animal cruelty after beating a horse that collapsed due to exhaustion on the side of a Lancaster County road.

Marvin M. Sensenig, 20, of Ephrata, was charged Friday with two counts of cruelty to animals, police announced.

The incident occurred Tuesday at about noon near the intersection of Bethany and Brossman Roads in Ephrata, according to police at a press conference.

Officers arrived at the scene and discovered the fallen horse partially blocking the roadway. Once the roadway was cleared, officers tended to the horse.

The Akron Fire Department later responded and sprayed the horse with water to keep the horse cool. However, the horse was ultimately euthanized.

A witness told police that the horse was mistreated. After further investigation, police allege that Sensenig "unreasonably struck a horse that was overburdened with a heavy load."

In a Facebook post, Tawn Crowther claimed to have witnessed the incident. She said the horse was unable to pull a wagon loaded with watermelon and two men.

Crowther's post has been more than 38,000 times as of Friday evening.

The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office has also reviewed the case.

 

(Philly Voice - Aug 5, 2016)

Earlier:

• Pennsylvania: Police investigating after woman sees Amish man beating exhausted horse

Pennsylvania: Police investigating after woman sees Amish man, Marvin Sensenig, beating exhausted horse

PENNSYLVANIA -- Police in Lancaster County are investigating an animal cruelty report involving a horse.

Ephrata police said they received an animal cruelty complaint on Tuesday involving a horse that was pulling a wagon along a roadway.

"The report was made in a timely manner and the investigation began at that time. Officers conducted interviews and follow up interviews – and will conduct more," police said in their news release.

In photos supplied by police, a man is seen standing over the horse as the horse laid on the ground.

Police issued a statement denying that the
officer said Amish don't have to abide
by the law.

"As a criminal justice agency, it is imperative that we sort out fact from fiction, and truth from hyperbole before taking action against a citizen," police said. "We must collect evidence and information."

According to a police account, "Sensenig used one horse to pull a farm wagon with a burden too great for a single horse. The horse became overheated due to the hot temperatures and collapsed onto the asphalt." 

It continues: "Sensenig then was seen kicking the horse in the abdomen and the back of the head, and punching the horse in the head."

Police said they are working to collect more evidence and information, and investigations can take some time.

Note: A newer article said that the fire department responded and sprayed 'over 1,000 gallons of water on the horse to cool it down'. The horse was ultimately euthanized they say (shot?).  They say they were out there on the side of the road for three hours. Was a veterinarian ever called to the scene?

 

Investigators ask anyone who may have seen what occurred to contact police or "submit a tip" through their webpage.

No charges have been filed as of Wednesday morning in the case. Additional details about the incident were not released by police.

From Facebook:
Today my friend Mimi and I watched as an Amish criminal beat a horse to the point it collapsed. The horse was unable to pull a wagon full of watermelon and 2 grown men. So the Amish man walked beside the horse and beat it until it fell to the grown. At that point he continued to kick, hit and pull on the poor seemingly dying animal. I pulled over and called the police. They came to evaluate the situation, only to tell me that they are unsure of the outcome. Because Amish are governed under a different law. Are you kidding? Isn't abuse standard across the board? So if I decide to beat and kill animals I need to change my religion to be above the law?!? Are you telling me the police are powerless against the Amish?!?

Just an update, the police officer has reached out to me and is trying to help!

(Local21 - Aug 3, 2016)

Mexico's 'Cinderella carriage' horses forced to drink sewage water and whipped by owners who say 'they only understand violence'

MEXICO --Forced to drink sewage water, brutally beaten by their owners and never seeing a vet - these are the brutal conditions endured by the horses forced to work pulling tourist carriages through Acapulco.

Left to spend their days without food, tethered alongside drug addicts under the city's bridges, the emaciated animals are forced to work long hours after dark ferrying tourists around the streets of the Mexican Pacific Coast resort.

 

'I don't enjoy beating my horse, but sometimes he gives me no choice,' said Jose Alberto Ramirez, who charges tourists £10 for a 30-minute ride in his brightly-lit pumpkin carriage. 'You have to remember that these are wild animals and that the only thing they understand is violence.'

Mexico's government banned the use of animals for recreational purposes in 2015, putting an end to many of the country's circuses.

And a flood of complaints of their treatment has prompted Acapulco's local government to consider banning horses from pulling Cinderella-style carriages from next year.

 

 

'It's an unacceptable situation,' said Acapulco city spokeswoman Irving Avila. 'Not only is the practice of driving a horse down a four-lane carriageway extremely dangerous for the animal and passengers, but the living conditions of many animals defies belief.'

Rafael Gonzalez leaves his four horses beside an river into which locals dump raw sewage. He often neglects to feed them and leaves them nothing to drink but the filthy water that flows past the trees to which they are tethered for 16 hours every day.

'They're my property and I have nowhere else to keep them,' Rafael told MailOnline when challenged on the conditions in which he keeps his animals. 'They often become aggressive and try to bite me, if I left them anywhere else they could injure a tourist.'

 

'They keep me up at night,' said Samuel Morno, a homeless drug-addict who takes shelter under the same bridge where Rafael's horses are left for 16 hours a day. 'But if living under a bridge is good enough for me, then it's good enough for them.'

'I barely even noticed the horse when I got in for a ride,' said one American tourist from Ohio who declined to be identified after stepping down from a brightly lit carriage pulled by a horse covered in scars and struggling to remain upright. 'If they don't treat their own animals with care then they don't deserve to keep them working.'

Not all the horses in Acapulco live in such abject conditions. Orlando Vallejo is the president of the town's horse-drawn-carriage drivers' union, an organisation which claims that mistreatment of a few drivers' animals will put them all out of business.

'We have our horses cared for 24 hours a day and they see a vet once every six months,' he told MailOnline from the compound where his 20 horses are kept, each provided with shade, fresh water and regular daily feeding sessions.

 

'We hold our own drivers to account over the state of their animals, but we can't speak for every driver in Acapulco,' he said. 'The few individuals who treat their animals like dirt are going to end up putting 200 people out of business.'

Despite his claims, not all of Orlando's horses are in the best condition. One chestnut stallion displays an open wound on its lower back after being bitten by another horse and continually spits at it to keep it from itching.

The animal still hasn't been seen by a vet. Another, a spotted male named Dalmation, recently had his hoof run over by a taxi and nevertheless continued working.

'We plan to fight the ban, whether or not the government enters into dialogue,' said Magdaleno Liberado, the night caretaker in Orlando's yard, who is equipped with medicines to handle any problem the animals might present.

Should the 2017 ban come into effect, Orlando's union plans to obstruct the city's main roads and stage a hunger strike in front of the mayor's office.

 

'They don't realise how many families depend on this business to survive,' said Orlando.

The horse drawn carriage tourist attraction has been running along Acapulco's beach-side road since 1953 and is considered one of the highlights of the town's tourists attractions, second only to the cliff divers who launch themselves from over 30 metres into the foaming swell at the western end of the bay.

AnimaNaturalis, an animal rights organisation which helped force the country's 2015 ban on using animals for recreation, says it is delighted with the actions of Mexico's government.

Leonora Esquivel, AnimaNaturalis leader told MailOnline: 'These animals are not objects that can be used for the fleeting pleasure of humans and we are glad that Mexico's government has seen the suffering that such practices cause.'

 

Despite the carriage drivers union's attempts to enter into dialogue with the government, the banning of their business on Acapulco's streets is set to come into force at the end of the year.

'The government says that when the ban takes effect they'll confiscate my animals without paying me a penny,' said Orlando. 'But I'll be damned if I allow that, I'll sell them off to whoever wants them before that happens, even if that means local criminals,' he added

(Daily Mail - March 3, 2016)

Carriage horse breaks loose from stable in Midtown

NEW YORK -- Police had to corral a runaway carriage horse after it broke free of its halter and went for a trot in Midtown on Sunday morning.

The bay horse got loose from a stable on W. 37th St., between 10th and 11th Aves., according to a spokesman for the Teamsters union, which represents Central Park carriage-horse drivers.

  

  

Video footage circulated by NYCLASS, an advocacy group that wants the industry banned from Central Park, showed two cops helping the horse’s owner seize the animal on 11th Ave.

The horse was uninjured and returned to work Monday. NYCLASS said the incident shows that horses don’t belong in a busy city.

(NY Daily News - Oct 20, 2014)

Tilles Park Clydesdale horse dies while pulling carriage

MISSOURI -- A sad event at a most unfortunate time:  that is what most are calling the death of a carriage horse Saturday night in the middle of the Winter Wonderland Christmas Light display in Tilles Park.

A witness in the carriage the horse was pulling tells Fox 2 the animal began acting strangely a few minutes after pulling into the light display, then fell.  The horse died moments later.

Jerry Kirk, the owner of Brookdale farms who provides the carriages, says the horse essentially had a heart attack.  He got the call moments after it happened.

“Obviously you get the big lump in your throat and want to see what’s going on.  Of course I’m right there on site, and I had personally just loaded the people on the carriage like four minutes prior to that.”

The horse, named King, was 22 year old Clydesdale.  Kirk purchased him four years ago, possibly saving him from going to slaughter.  He had reached a fairly advanced age for a horse so large.  Kirk says King had shown no signs of distress, and was only worked a couple of days a week due to his age.  He was also checked regularly by a veterinarian, just like all the horses at the stable.

“The thing about these draft horses is they live to do this.  That’s what they’re bred for.  That’s what they’re here for.  They love their work. They love to be out in the public.  They get all the attention.”

County officials say the incident was simply unavoidable.

Acting Parks Director Tom Ott issued a statement saying, “According to eyewitness accounts, the horse stopped, stretched and went down of an apparent heart attack. We are saddened by the loss of this beautiful animal but truly believe it died of natural causes.

“St. Louis County Parks works with Brookdale to ensure that the horses are being taken care of and aren’t in danger, especially during inclement weather.  Our parks staff makes sure roads are cleared of any snow or ice, and we have even cancelled the event on occasions when roads would put the public or the horses in danger. During Winter Wonderland at Tilles Park thousands of carriage rides are provided each year, and this is only the second time in our 28 years of the event that a horse has been lost.”

In this case, Kirk says it appears to have just been the horse’s time.

“Anytime you have animals sometimes things like this will happen.  And when it does happen in this kind of a situation it’s really, really bad.  It’s bad for us. It’s bad for the public. It’s bad for the people there.  But it’s just a part of life.”

We spoke to the Missouri Humane Society, and officials there also say the death appears to have been of natural causes.  No one we spoke to is alleging any sort of wrongdoing.

(FOX2NOW - Dec 23, 2013)

The truth comes out: Poor Jerry the carriage horse is dead

UTAH -- Jerry the carriage horse died one week after he collapsed in Salt Lake City, his owners admitted yesterday, after previously denying it and trying to pass another animal off as the injured mare.

Blaine Overson confirmed the 13-year-old horse died on Friday after he collapsed in the street due to colic on August 17 while pulling a carriage through downtown traffic in sweltering heat.

Jerry was left lying for several hours on the scorching pavement, before his owners eventually moved him via forklift to a nearby stable.

Annette Overson released pictures to the media over the weekend of a horse she claimed was Jerry, but an equine expert said it was not, due to its color and distinctive white marking on his upper lip.

She admitted on Saturday that it was not Jerry and said she sent the photos of a different horse because she was 'sick of seeing my horses laying down and so I sent a picture of a horse standing up'.


Annette told the Salt Lake Tribune on Saturday that Jerry was still alive and healthy. Blaine Overson explained he did not break the news to his wife until Sunday because he was out of cell phone range.

 

Readers were quick to see that this horse looked nothing like Jerry,
who is seen in the top photo

Ever since a video of Jerry's struggle went viral, animal rights advocates have called for new city laws to address practices surrounding carriage horses.

The Oversons, who own the business Carriage for Hire, said their 17 horses are well cared for and are not abused or overworked.

'We loved Jerry,' Blaine Overson told the Salt Lake Tribune. 'We love all of our horses. We cried between the two of us, we were sorry to see him go.


Officials in the mayor’s office said the Oversons should have announced Jerry’s death earlier.

'We are...extremely disappointed that the owners of Carriage for Hire chose not to publicly share this information in a timely manner.

'Following this series of events, the appropriate action for the City is to decide whether or not continuing to license carriage businesses is a good fit for our community.'

Salt Lake City Councilman Charlie Luke went to the stables and asked to see Jerry, who was dappled gray, after the uproar over the fake photographs. That's when Blaine told him he was dead.

Blaine told Deseret News the couple have been receiving death threats which have been pretty hard to take.

'It's really a sad thing that some of the people out there don't understand that over 500,000 horses a year die of colic.

'That's what Jerry died of. They want to blame it on the fact that he was out there on the street.'

The incident attracted a great deal of attention and had animal rights advocates both in and outside of Salt Lake City calling for an end to the ‘cruel industry’of horse drawn carriage rides.

 

'After reviewing the video footage of the incident and consulting with equine experts and veterinarians, we question the diagnosis of colic and subsequent reports from Carriage for Hire,' said PETA research project manager Jeremy Beckham.

'We urge animal control to enter and inspect the stable where Jerry was allegedly housed, as authorized by Salt Lake City regulations, and to subpoena veterinary records.

'We fear that Jerry may have become another victim of the cruel horse-carriage trade.'

Jerry was near the end of a tour when he suddenly kicked his stomach and collapsed to the ground on August 17.

‘[He] just didn’t want to move,’ city resident Ronald Schulthies told the Salt Lake Tribune. ‘His eyes were open and when we’d move him, he’d neigh and whinny.’

Schulthies was among some 60 concerned passersby. Veterinarians would also soon come to the 1,800 pound horse’s aid.

[It says Jerry laid there FOR HOURS before anything was done for him.]

At first, all they could do was try to comfort the animal.

‘It was distressing because lots of people there wanted to do something, but didn’t know what to do,’ Schulthies said. ‘Obviously, the carriage company didn’t have any plan for that type of thing.’

Schulthies said Jerry would attempt to stand but quickly fall back down. He emphasized that the horse was treated with only the utmost concern for his health and well-being.

(Daily Mail - Aug 27 2013)

Earlier:

• Salt Lake city 'to BAN carriage horses' after horror collapse in downtown street
• Everyone wants to know, "Where's Jerry?"

Everyone wants to know, "Where's Jerry?"

UTAH -- A week after Jerry the carriage horse collapsed in downtown Salt Lake City, no one but his owners seems to have seen him and animal activists say a photo showing his recovery depicts a different animal.

Jerry collapsed Aug. 17 in a highly publicized incident captured in photos by bystanders and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal activists. Jerry’s owners eventually managed to get him off the street and to a nearby stable, and by Wednesday said he was recovering from colic. Annette Overson, co-owner of Carriage for Hire, also provided The Salt Lake Tribune with a photo she said was of Jerry standing up in a stable.

But Friday, PETA research project manager Jeremy Beckham said Overson’s picture shows a different horse from one he saw and photographed lying on the pavement downtown. Beckham described Jerry as a dappled gray — a description also mentioned in a Salt Lake County Animal Services report — but said the horse in Overson’s picture had a different coloring pattern called "flea bitten" gray.

After Beckham saw the two images, he contacted Jennifer Hack of the United States Equine Rescue League. Hack — whom Beckham described as a horse expert — pointed out that the horse in Overson’s image has a white mark, called a snip, above its lip. The horse in Beckham’s images does not.

"These markings do not change over time as they come from the color of the skin," Hack wrote in a letter to Beckham, "so a horse that is born with a snip cannot suddenly not have one, and vice versa."

Hack could not be reached for comment Friday.

Overson also did not return calls Friday.

Beckham said the conflicting photos raise questions about what exactly is going on with Jerry.

"The biggest question in my mind is, ‘Where is Jerry?’ " he said.

When Tribune staffers on Friday visited the stables where Jerry was taken after his collapse, an employee met them outside the front door and said Jerry was recovering. However, she declined to comment further on his status or on the conflicting photos. She said company employees have received threats.

Animal Services officers also haven’t seen Jerry since his initial fall.

Don Porter, acting division director for Salt Lake County Animal Services, said Friday that two of his officers responded to the initial Saturday incident. Two days later, one of those officers and another employee visited the stables to check for health and safety violations. They found none, and were told by Jerry’s owner and veterinarian the horse had been moved to another location.

"The horse itself was not available," Porter said. "They were being very secretive."

Porter said the secrecy apparently stemmed from safety concerns for the horse.

"It’s not our responsibility to check on the health of the animal if the veterinarian’s taking care of it," he said.

The veterinarian who treated Jerry last Saturday also did not return calls Friday.

Porter added that his department is satisfied that Jerry is recovering and has no evidence that any deception or misunderstandings have occurred. He also said the county does not anticipate having any future involvement in the issue.

[How can he be 'satisfied' that Jerry is recovering if he hasn't seen the horse? He knows the vet treated Jerry ONCE, but has no clue whether the vet has seen the horse again. Hell, he doesn't even know where Jerry is at - is he alive? Suffering? Dead and buried in a hole at the back of the property? This is ridiculous and not how an "acting division director" should respond to what is becoming a worldwide media story]

On Saturday, questions surrounding Jerry’s status prompted PETA to offer a $1,000 reward for information about his whereabouts. In a statement, Beckham said PETA questions the diagnosis identifying colic as Jerry’s ailment, as well as reports that he is recovering.

The statement adds that PETA hopes Animal Services officials will inspect the stable where Jerry is being kept and subpoena veterinary records.

(The Salt Lake Tribune - Aug 24 2013)

Earlier:

• Salt Lake city 'to BAN carriage horses' after horror collapse in downtown street