Farm animals severely neglected
Oakland, MD (US)Incident Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010
County: Garrett
Disposition: Not Charged
Case Images: 1 files available
Abuser names unreleased
Horses, cattle, even goats are in dire shape, and a desperate effort is underway to save them.
Some of the emaciated and neglected horses are the lucky ones. They're among 25 horses and 18 cows seized on a farm in Garrett County.
Others there weren't so lucky as they are near death.
It's the largest seizure of neglected animals ever in Garrett County.
"We've never seen anything like this before in one place. We've seen, you know, a horse or two here or there but never this many," said Denise Lohr, Animal Control.
On a scale of one to five, many of the animals are at a one or below.
"This is the lowest spot they can get before dying," said Brooke Vrany, Days End Horse Rescue.
Investigators say they have been dealing with the property owner off and on for four years, but during a recent visit, they found poor conditions they could no longer ignore.
And as investigators walked the property, an even more disturbing discovery was made, carcasses of horses, some with their bridles still on.
"At my last count, I was up to 10, and I'm still, I'm about a fourth of the way through the pasture," said Lohr.
The Days End Horse Rescue knows they've got their work cut out for them to try and save some of the horses. For others, it may already be too late.
Animal Control officers say they will be filing animal neglect charges against the owner of the farm, but not until their investigation is complete.
The Days End Horse Rescue in Howard County will be seeking volunteers and donations to help care for the neglected horses. « Back to Search Results
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