SPCA Takes In 15 Neglected Horses After Custody Ruling

DALLAS, TX – The owners of 20 cruelly-treated horses will be required to repay $3,600 in restitution after a custody hearing put 15 of the horses under the care of the SPCA of Texas, the organization announced Thursday. Criminal charges are expected to be filed.

Of the 20 horses seized from the facility on June 28., 14 will be cared for by the SPCA. One of the horses given SPCA custody was euthanized after its seizure due to severe health problems.

The judge ruled that five of the seized horses were not cruelly treated and awarded custody back to their owners. These five include two mares, two foals and one other horse. In full, 14 horses and six miniature ponies were seized. Another dead horse was found on the property. The SPCA said the dead horse was too decomposed to remove.

Most of the horses were found living in various pens with no access to food, water or shelter. The miniature horses were found in a small round pen with no access to food or water. Two horses were confined to small, makeshift stalls with no access to food or water. One horse was found tied to a tree and one deceased horse was found, both in a wooded area on the property not visible during the investigation. These two horses were not discovered until a warrant was obtained.

The animals are suffering from various health issues, including open wounds, hair loss and cracked hooves, and the majority appear to be significantly underweight, the SPCA said. One horse was so weak it was unable to stand and was given emergency subcutaneous fluids at the scene. Another horse has several open wounds that are so infected that the tissue had begun decaying.

The SPCA became aware of the situation after a complaint of suspected animal cruelty was received on April 9. Organization representatives visited the property on April 10, 2018.

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During that visit, investigators identified, and attempted to work with, the owners of the various horses, trying to educate them on the proper feeding and care of horses and entering into agreements with them if possible to bring the animals' conditions into compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code.

Due to the nature of the equine boarding facility’s business practices, it was a time-consuming and difficult process to even determine individual ownership of the horses, the SPCA said.

Equine and livestock cases typically require longer investigations because equine and livestock take longer to lose and gain weight compared to dogs and cats. In this case, after seven visits to the property, the investigators were still unable to identify all of the owners due to lack of information from the property owner. But on June 27, 2018, the decline in the animals’ conditions was significant, finally giving investigators probable cause to seek a warrant to remove all horses on the property.

The SPCA then began gathering resources to remove the animals. Investigators obtained a seizure warrant on June 28, 2018 and executed the warrant the same day.

The animals currently in SPCA care will be monitored and rehabilitated and, eventually, adopted or rehoused on a case-by-case basis.

The name of the boarding facility was not immediately available.

Image via Renee Schiavone, Patch staff