Crime & Safety
14 'Malnourished' Horses Seized In Riverside County
All of the horses bore signs of neglect, with their rib cages showing from lack of nourishment, officials say. (breaking)
NUEVO, CA — Fourteen undernourished horses seized from a Nuevo rancher are on the road to recovery, according to a Riverside County Department of Animal Services spokesman, who said Friday that officials remain undecided on whether to seek charges against the horses' owner.
"The case is still being evaluated," agency spokesman John Welsh said. "I will say, these horses aren't as bad as the ones we removed from the same property last year."
On Wednesday, animal control officers, with the help of the all- volunteer Riverside Emergency Animal Rescue System, loaded the 14 animals onto trailers and transported them to either the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus or the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter in Jurupa Valley, according to Welsh.
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He alleged that all of the horses showed signs of neglect, including rib cages that showed from lack of nourishment. They've since been treated by veterinary specialists and are receiving appropriate care, Welsh said.
Concerns about the horses were reported to the Department of Animals Services by someone in the area, he said, triggering an investigation at the 11- acre property near Apricot Avenue and 12th Street, which is familiar to animal control officers from a March 2016 case that involved 23 horses.
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In that instance, rancher Joseph Guy Vachon had allegedly failed to adequately feed the equines over an extended period of time, causing their health to fail, according to Animal Services officials. One horse was so starved it had to be euthanized, Welsh said.
Those horses were removed, allegedly under protest from Vachon, and have since been resettled.
Vachon is charged with animal cruelty and obstructing a law enforcement officer in connection with the first seizure. He's due in court Oct. 25 to seek a change of counsel, according to court records.
Welsh said the defendant was cooperative during Wednesday's operation, signing over all 14 horses to the county.
After the animals have been fully restored to health, they will be available for adoption. Welsh said interested parties should be "experienced horse owners."
— By City News Service / Images via Riverside County Department of Animal Services
