Horse neglect
Oldfort, TN (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
County: Polk
Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 2 files available
Abuser names unreleased
In the middle of a fenced in field in Polk County, a freshly dug grave conceals the body of a horse that neighbors say died from severe neglect.
"Everyday you see these horses, they're almost starving to death. You see their rib bones, their back bones, their tale bones. They walk around. They look pitiful," says neighbor Denver Fields.
According to residents on Upper River Road, three horses have dropped dead on this property in just under a year.
The most recent casualty occurred earlier this week when one horse fell over and went untouched for four days.
Denver Fields and his wife have made several calls to police, hoping for some kind of intervention to save the animals.
"The horses are ultimately suffering for it. They're literally dying over there," he says.
Jeff Scott lives next to the horse farm. One look he says and it's clear- these horses are starving.
"They don't feed the horses. They've gone all winter long without being fed. Maybe a couple of bails of hay here and there. Just neglect. Real bad neglect," says Scott.
Sheriff Bill Davis tells News 12 his department has received multiple complaints. Davis is looking into the case and wants to meet personally with the horse owners before taking action.
"I've seen the sheriff over there two or three times telling them [to feed the horses]. They'll feed them for about a week then that's it. It's back to the same situation," Scott says.
Another neighbor who declined to go on camera says he has donated hay to his neighbor just so the horses would have something to eat.
"I'm not sure if it's truly mistreatment or they don't have the means to take care of the animals. And if that's the case they at to at least give them to somebody," says Fields.
Fields and Scott say the horses barely survived last winter. They're not sure if they can make it through another one. References« TN State Animal Cruelty Map
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