Connecticut: Abused horses seized from breeder accused of animal cruelty, will now help veterans with PTSD

CONNECTICUT -- After losing sight in his right eye from a 2013 rocket attack in Afghanistan, retired U.S. Army Maj. Dan Thomas recovered with help from an equine therapy program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Hoping to help other veterans, he and his wife traveled from their home in Alabama to Connecticut last week to purchase two massive, jet black carriage horses, animals that were put up for auction by the state after they were seized from a breeder in February as part of an animal abuse investigation and rehabilitated through a state program involving female prison inmates who help with the care.

Thomas said the two Friesian mares, among 32 emaciated and depressed horses taken from the farm, are the perfect animals to help veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In this June 13, 2016 photo, Dan and Amy Thomas try to calm
the two Friesian horses they were picking up at the Connecticut
Department of Agriculture's large animal rehabilitation center
at the York Correctional Center in Niantic, Conn. The horses
were among others seized in February as part of an animal
cruelty probe, that were later auctioned off.
(AP Photo/Susan Haigh)

"They know what it's like to go through hell and come out the other side," said Thomas, who plans to create a program similar to the one he experienced at the couple's 160-acre ranch in Black, Alabama. The Friesians, 1,400-pound Francisca and 1,000-pound Rosalind, will join seven other horses the couple previously rescued.

Considered a "war horse" in the Middle Ages, Friesians are a highly sought-after breed, recognized for being gentle and intelligent. Thomas knows firsthand that such a demeanor in a horse can be a calming influence for returning combat veterans.

"I've been through lots and lots of things. After being blown up, it's quite a traumatic experience for you. The horses are what works for me. So I know it's out there and works for other people because I've seen it," Thomas said, explaining how there's peace in being around such a powerful creature that could hurt you but doesn't.

The 32 horses seized by Connecticut officials in February from the Fairy Tail Equine breeding center in East Hampton have attracted great attention from across the country because of the type of horses involved. The Department of Agriculture received inquiries from as far away as Alaska about the sealed, monthlong auction. Besides Friesians, Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner horses were also seized.

Adam and Tracy Erickson, owners of Skywalker Stables in Jamestown, New York, were visibly thrilled to take home Voruke, another Friesian. The couple has rescued horses from the slaughterhouse, buying the animals from meat buyers at the eleventh-hour. They rehabilitate the horses and find them good homes. Tracy Erickson said she's never come across a Friesian and plans to keep Voruke.

"It's just a wonderful, gentle breed of horse," she said.

Money raised from the state's auction will help offset the cost of caring for the horses, which has exceeded $100,000, not including staff time. Raymond Connors, supervisor of the department's animal control division, said winning bidders were screened to make sure the animals will go to a suitable place.

In this June 13, 2016 photo, a Friesian horse known as
Francisca peeks her nose out of her stall at the CT
Department of Agriculture's large animal rehabilitation
center at York Correctional Center in Niantic, Conn. She's
one of the horses seized in February as part of an animal
cruelty investigation, later purchased by an Alabama
couple that plans to use horses to help veterans
with PTSD. (AP Photo/Susan Haigh)

As the buyers coaxed their new horses into trailers, Connors remarked how the animals look "1,000 percent better" than the day when they were seized. The owners of the breeding center were arrested on animal cruelty charges. Their case is still pending in court.

Dan Thomas saw photos of Francisca and Rosalind after they were seized.

"I'm just really impressed with what the state of Connecticut has done here because these horses are beautiful now," he said. "It looks like the state of Connecticut has saved some lives."

(WBRC - June 19, 2016)

Connecticut: East Hampton CoupleThomas Olajos, 36, and Melanie Olajos, 37, Faces Animal Cruelty Charges; 32 Horses Previously Seized

CONNECTICUT -- A couple whose 32 horses were seized last month as part of an animal cruelty investigation were charged late last week, officials said.

Thomas Olajos, 36, and Melanie Olajos, 37, of Daniel Street, were charged with 35 counts each of cruelty to animals, officials from the Department of Agriculture said Monday.

They were each charged with 35 counts of cruelty to animals – 32 counts for each of the horses seized and the other three counts stemming from the alleged mistreatment of two dogs, 19 rabbits and 78 chickens removed from Fairy Tail Equine on Feb. 2.

I don't know if this horse is involved, but it's on the donation site

The majority of the charges come in connection with the horses seized from their property in early February.

 

The couple breeds Friesian, Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner horses.

Officials said an investigation showed the couple failed to provide the animals with proper food, water, shelter or veterinary care. This came after animal control officers allowed the couple to improve the treatment, officials added.

As of Monday, the horses were in the care of the Department of Agriculture's large animal rehabilitation facility, officials said.

Two dogs, 19 rabbits and 78 chickens were also removed from the farm, officials said.

A total of 131 animals.

The Great Danes, lacked muscle mass and suffered from a variety of afflictions including whipworms and anemia.

The couple was released without having to post bail and will appear in in Middletown Superior Court on March 15, officials said.

 

Connecticut Department of Agriculture
According to the warrant used to secure the Olajos’ arrest, an examination of each horse by an equine veterinarian after they were removed from Fairy Tail Equine found that “the herd as a whole had been neglected and was underweight.”

The veterinarian’s findings indicate that the horses have been neglected in a variety of ways, including nutrition, care of their hooves and teeth, grooming and wound care.

In addition to being underweight, many of the horses had active lice infestation, their manes and tails were matted and tangled, and many had a skin condition known as dermatitis and had fecal material caked on their tails and legs.

A veterinary exam of the two dogs, both Great Danes, found that one was a 2- to 3-year-old male that was emaciated, with a lack of muscle mass and its ribs, vertebrae and pelvic bones all evident.

The dog also had live fleas present, a superficial skin wound, calluses on both elbows, excessive discharge in its ears, whipworms, profuse diarrhea and anemia.

The other dog, a 1-year-old old female, was underweight and also had live fleas, current and healed wounds, conjunctivitis, and excessive discharge from both ears.

The condition of its teeth suggested that the dog may have been chewing on rocks and dirt.

The chickens were underweight and malnourished when seized and most had little or no access to water.

Necropsies on three of them found dead during the Feb. 2 seizure revealed that the birds were in poor body condition with very little content in their stomachs, minimal fat stores and other health issues including skin lesions and intestinal perforation consistent with aggression and cannibalism.

Ten chickens also in poor condition were found in a cage in the Olajos’ house, which is directly adjacent to the horse paddock.

The rabbits, found in cages throughout the house, did have water and food available but both the animals and the cages were dirty.

(Hartford Courant - March 7, 2016)

Montana: Stevensville man Richard Laubach pleads not guilty to charges in horse shooting

MONTANA -- A Stevensville landlord who allegedly shot his tenant’s horse in the hoof while 'plinking' for rabbits is facing misdemeanor charges of negligent endangerment and cruelty to animals.

Richard Allison Laubach, 55, pleaded not guilty to the charges this week before Ravalli County Justice of the Peace Jim Bailey.

An affidavit filed in the case said Laubach’s tenant, Debora Lynn Lay, filed a report with the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office that her Andalusian horse had been shot in the right front hoof by her landlord on May 29.

The injury fractured the navicular bone and shattered the short pastern bone.

Lay owns and operates Lazy D Equine Services and specializes in natural hoof care.

At the time of the alleged shooting, she lived in an apartment owned by Laubach on Meadow Road. Laubach lives in an adjacent house on the five-acre parcel, where he raises miniature horses.

Lay told a deputy that she was in her apartment May 25 when she heard a gunshot, followed by a second shot. She recognized the sound as a .22 caliber rifle.

She often heard her landlord shooting at rabbits on his property, the affidavit said.

On the next morning, she went to the corrals to care for her horses. She found her Andalusian holding its right front leg off the ground, with blood running from the hoof.

When she checked the hoof, she noticed it was split.

Concerned that her horse may have been shot the night before, she contacted Laubach. He told her that he doubted the injury was from a bullet and so she began to treat the horse for an abscess.

Three days later, she had the hoof X-rayed, which showed a bullet had entered the hoof and caused a great deal of damage. Her veterinarian told her the bullet was still in the hoof and her horse would have to be put down. A second veterinarian said the bullet needed to be removed. He believed the horse would survive, but never ridden again.

The sheriff’s deputy met with Laubach and his girlfriend May 30 in the pasture.

Laubach told the deputy that he had a rabbit problem in his garden and so he shoots them with a .22 rifle. He said he had several rabbits in his freezer and had discarded the rest on his property.

Laubach admitted that he shot at a rabbit May 25, and that a bullet must have ricocheted off a rock and struck the horse’s hoof. He was apologetic and promised never to shoot on his property again.

Laubach showed the location where he had shot from that night. He explained that he placed the rifle barrel on the top rail of the fence surrounding his garden and shot toward the garden or hay shed.

The hay shed is located in the horse corral. Laubach said that’s where the rabbits always run to get away.

The shed is where Lay found her horse the next morning.

The affidavit said the location from where Laubach shot was in direct line of a neighboring home and the sidewalk that Lay uses to enter her apartment. The deputy noticed numerous bullet holes in the siding of the detached garage where his tenant lived.

He also noted there was a newly constructed home in the direct trajectory path within 350 feet of the shots that Laubach had described. There are eight homes within the same distance.

The deputy spoke to one of the neighbors, who reported hearing gunshots from Laubach’s property and finding a mounted light on his property had been shot out.

Laubach surrendered his rifle to the deputy.

Bailey released Laubach without bail. He is next scheduled to appear Sept. 3.

Lay reports that her horse is still struggling to recover.

“I never realized how much he participates in our daily training and other activities,” she said. “I am constantly saying to clients and students, ‘Well, if Dance were sound, I could demonstrate.’ ”

Lay said she’s also heard from a number of people saying they miss seeing her and her horse in local parades.

“I knew that part of our life was over, but it didn’t hit home until the parades actually started happening,” she said.

(Missoulian - Aug 5, 2015)

Name: Richard Allison Laubach
Sex: Male
Race: White
Age at arrest: 55
Booking date: 08/03/2015
Booked by: RAVALLI COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
Charges:

• #1 Negligent Endangerment - STATUTE: 45-5-208 ( M)
• #2 Cruelty To Animals - STATUTE: 45-8-211(2)(a)[1st] (1 M)

United Kingdom: Jenny's finally home after a savage attack

UNITED KINGDOM -- A SHETLAND pony which almost died after being savaged by a dog in an attack at an animal sanctuary has finally returned home.

Jenny and another horse, Chispa, suffered horrific injuries when a Staffordshire bull terrier attacked the terrified animals at Mistley Place Park.

There were fears Jenny – a 20-year-old Shetland – was so badly hurt she would have to be put down, but she has made an amazing recovery and is back home after emergency surgery and almost a month at the vets.

Owner Cara Taylor, 31, said: “We had to rush her to the vets for emergency surgery but she is improving slowly. The leg wound is quite large but the stomach bites have healed well.”

Jenny still has an open wound on her leg, which has to be cleaned twice a day, and is still on antibiotics, but she is expected to bounce back. She was also bitten on the stomach by the staffie.

The dog’s owner fled with his pet after the attack.

Cara added: “I was extremely worried about both Chispa and Jenny. It was terrible someone left them so badly injured and just ran off, but I’m extremely happy to have Jenny back and be able to see her and look after her every day.”

Treating Chispa and Jenny has cost almost £3,000 in vet bills. Police have launched a witness appeal following the October 12 attack.

Officers are trying to trace the dog’s owner, who is described as white, 5ft 9ins tall and aged in his late twenties or early thirties.

He was wearing a cream or green baseball cap and casual clothing.

The man was with a young girl, aged between seven and 11, who had shoulder-length brown hair. She was walking a black short-haired cross-bred dog on a lead.

Anyone with information should contact PC Paul Kilgannon, at Harwich police station, on 101.

(Gazette - Nov 18, 2013)

Earlier:

• United Kingdom: Horses attacked by out-of-control dog
• United Kingdom: Owner’s disgust after dog attack leaves two horses with horrific injuries

United Kingdom: Owner’s disgust after Pit Bull attack leaves two horses with horrific injuries. Owner, who was with a small child, grabs Pit Bull and flees.

UNITED KINGDOM -- The owner of an animal rescue centre in north Essex has spoken out after two horses suffered horrific injuries after being attacked by a dog.

Maureen Taylor, who runs Mistley Park Place, said she has been left “disgusted” by the actions of the dog’s owner who ran away from the scene leaving the animals “shaking and bleeding” in their field.

One horse sustained bite wounds on its nose and legs while a 20-year-old Shetland pony had muscle ripped from one of its rear thighs – an injury vets fear may affect the way she walks forever.

Grey 10-year-old Andulusian-cross Chispa was badly bitten on the nose and leg

According to Mrs Taylor, the attack took place at around 12.30pm on Saturday while she was working on the grounds of the park, which is home to almost 2,000 rescue animals.

She said: “A woman driving by pulled over to tell one of my staff that she had seen a dog hanging off the nose of one of the horses. As I was running to the field, I was also stopped by a couple who told me they had seen a man chasing his dog around the field trying to capture it and that the horses were going frantic.”

What Mrs Taylor found horrified her.

Her grey 10-year-old Andalusian-cross called Chispa had been bitten through the nose and leg while the black Shetland pony, called Jenny, who is in her 20s, had a 30 sq cm gash in her right thigh.

The animals were treated by vets at Catley Cross Veterinary Clinic in Wickham St Paul, where Jenny remains under supervision, receiving heavy doses of antibiotics.

Partner at the clinic, Clinton Float, said: “The wound is deep and because of the muscle loss and the risk of infection from the dog bite, there is a danger the wound won’t repair very well.

“I just feel sorry for this little old pony that was in its field minding its own business and then suddenly found a dog trying to bite its leg off.”

Mrs Taylor has reported the incident and last night Essex Police confirmed they had received a complaint.

Shetland pony Jenny suffered a severe gash in one of her legs

According to Mrs Taylor, witnesses told her the dog owner was a white man, who was walking with another dog on a lead and a small child at the time that the dog – described as a black, Staffordshire Pit Bull Terrier-type dog - got into the field where the horses were.

He was seen running off in the direction of Mistley Place Walk and Kiln Lane after the incident.

She added: “It’s disgusting that he should let it off like that. Okay – these things happen but at least come and tell someone. If it weren’t for the witnesses, it could have been several hours before we realised the horses were injured.

“If he’d had the dog on a lead then none of this would have happened.”

(East Anglian Daily Times - Oct 15, 2013)