Horse neglect
Lake Worth, FL (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Feb 23, 2008
County: Palm Beach
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Ralph Mansfield
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
The horse's ribs and hips jutted out of her skin. The neglect was so severe, she may have to be euthanized, Palm Beach County animal control officers said.
The brown quarter horse, named Gege, was seized Feb. 23 west of Lake Worth. She was left to waste away to 794 pounds, when her weight should be about 1,200.
Gege was the third horse this year that Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control saved from neglect. Felony animal-cruelty charges have been filed with the State Attorney's Office against two owners.
Animal control officials say Gege is evidence of a growing problem: As the population in Florida grows, so does the horse population. Many people don't know how to care for horses, and with the rising price of gas, feed and hay, neglect is more common. "It's getting tougher and tougher to feed their animals, it's getting more and more expensive," said Beck Hyslop, owner of Red Barn Feed & Supply Inc. in Loxahatchee. He said feed and hay is so expensive because it has to be shipped to Florida. Feed prices have also risen in part because of U.S. corn ethanol production.
When officers showed up, Gege's former owner, Ralph Mansfield, 46, also relinquished ownership of a one-eyed horse named Belle.
"The owner told us he is financially not able to care for these horses," Capt. David Walesky said Tuesday. "He said he knows they're in need but he doesn't have the money to provide for the vet care."
Gege was seized after an animal-cruelty complaint.
An emaciated Clydesdale mix, Emma, was seized after a Feb. 22 search warrant in Royal Palm Beach. Another horse, Cody, was abandoned at a boarding facility by its owner in April. When animal control officers picked him up Jan. 16, he was 300 pounds underweight.
Broward Sheriff's Lt. Sherry Schlueter - who founded the Broward Sheriff's Office animal abuse unit in 1982 and helped make animal abuse a felony in Florida - said her agency gets two to three horse complaints a week. However, animal abuse investigations don't rank high in police agencies, she said.
In Broward County, neglect or abuse cases involving horses mostly are left to local police agencies.
"All you have to do is drive around anywhere where large animals are and you're gong to find animals being neglected," Schlueter said. "Most officers wouldn't know what proper care is because of their lack of knowledge."
Gege's former owner, Mansfield, could not be reached for comment, despite attempts to reach him on his cell phone. Felony animal cruelty charges were filed against him, as well as against Emma's owner, Heather Moore, 26, of Royal Palm Beach. Moore relinquished two other horses to animal control. Her case stems back to August, when she was instructed to get veterinary care for her horses. By Feb. 22, officers noticed Emma was still sickly from lack of care, according to the search warrant.
Reached by phone, Moore declined comment. There are no criminal charges filed against Cody's owner.
"How many neighbors see things like this happening?" Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control Director Dianne Sauve asked, in front of Gege's stable. "How many people passed this horse in a field to the point where she was round and healthy to the point she became like this?"
On Tuesday, Sauve took Emma, two other horses, and a goat to Debra McBride of Loxahatchee, who runs an independent rescue center.
More than 30,900 Florida residents who make under $50,000 own horses, according to a 2005 study by the Washington, D.C.-based American Horse Council trade association. The cost to keep a horse is hundreds of dollars per month for food, shoes, boarding and upkeep.
"Horses are luxury items," said Morgan Silver, founder of the Horse Protection Association of Florida, based in Micanopy. "You don't get them until you can easily afford them."
Some inexperienced horse owners falsely believe horses can live off the land in South Florida, but coral rock and limestone strip the grass of nutrients.
"Ignorance, that is not a good defense," Schlueter said. "People who acquire animals or who know little or nothing have an obligation to learn how to care for them."
Gege's fate is still uncertain. She may be the sixth horse euthanized by Palm Beach County animal care since 2005, or she may bounce back.
"On the one hand you have a horse that's in horrible shape and as a human you want to do anything you can to save an animal like this," Sauve said as she petted Gege, who leaned into Sauve's hand. "On the other hand we also have to look at the long term. Even if we bring her back to some sort of health, what are the chances of her getting adopted?"
Case UpdatesGege, the 12-year-old starved quarter horse with bones protruding from her skin, has the will to live, a rescue worker says.
Debra McBride who runs an independent rescue center in Loxahatchee, took Gege in Friday and said she will keep her if she is not adopted.
"I think any animal is worth saving if they have the will to live," McBride said.On Feb. 23, Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control saved Gege from neglect at her home west of Lake Worth. Officers filed felony animal cruelty charges against the former owner, Ralph Mansfield, 46.
He told animal care officers he could not afford the upkeep. Gege's shape was so poor she faced euthanasia, but officers say there's hope because she remains social. "Horses are very forgiving animals," McBride said. "It's always unconditional."
Rising prices of feed, gas, and hay and the weakening economy have made horse neglect a growing issue. Gege was the third neglected horse Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control rescued this year. Emma, 18, an emaciated Clydesdale mix, also was taken to McBride's rescue.
Heather Moore, 26, of Royal Palm Beach, adopted Emma from McBride's rescue in May 2006. In August, care and control officers noticed Emma's weight had dropped dangerously low. She was seized last month, and felony animal cruelty charges were filed against Moore.
Gege is slowly being nursed back to health. She gets a handful of grain along with hay daily. "Their body is used to one way," McBride said. "If you go bombarding them with a whole bunch of food, they could get sick."
After a year or so, the horses may appear for adoption on Animal Care & Control or Pure Thoughts, Inc. foal rescue Web sites. Even if the horses are no longer ridable, they can be good "buddy" animals for other horses, McBride said. | Source: Sun-Sentinel - March 2, 2008
Update posted on Mar 2, 2008 - 8:40PM |
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