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)