Horse starved, attacked by dogs
Cameron, NC (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Sep 30, 2007
County: Harnett
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 2 files available
Alleged:
» Alex Smith
» Tiffany Connelly
A Harnett County miniature horse is now under the protection of a national equine protection group after its owners failed to feed it correctly, creating a weakened state that allowed dogs to abuse the animal, authorities say.
Harnett County Animal Control Supervisor Tino Medina said the horse, named Sassy, nearly died after dogs damaged its ears, eyes, tail and body section. It has bite marks and sores in all those locations. The horse was severely undernourished at the time of its attack.
"It was close to death," Mr. Medina said.
Animal Control Officer Steve Berube, who responded to the scene, said the horse had given up hope.
"He had his nose buried, which means they have given up," Mr. Berube said.
Mr. Medina said the owners of the horse, Alex Smith and Tiffany Connelly, both of Cameron, fed the animal a four- to five-day supply of food over 30 days, creating a state of near starvation. Also, dogs attacked the weakened horse.
"The dogs actually drug the horse," Mr. Medina said. One of the horse's ears was partially removed during the attack.
The owners of the horse admitted they did not know how to properly care for the animal. When they discovered the horse's injuries they took it to a local veterinarian, who called a national protection organization.
Equine cruelty investigator Jennifer Malpass of the United States Equine Rescue League, said the horse was in trouble when her organization took over its care.
"She was unresponsive to external stimuli, which indicates she was near death," Mrs. Malpass said.
She said her organization turned over care of the animal to the North Carolina State School of Veterinary Medicine, to provide isolation.
"We were concerned about rabies and other things, which is why we sent her there," Mrs. Malpass said.
The horse is now at a rehabilitation facility and is recovering well.
"We expect a full recovery," Mrs. Malpass said. "She has partial eyesight in her left eye, which is good because we thought she was going to lose it all."
Mr. Smith and Mrs. Connelly now face felony animal abuse charges. References« NC State Animal Cruelty Map
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