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Case ID: 18140
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: horse
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Horse found severely underweight
Norfolk, MA (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, May 17, 2011
County: Norfolk

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged: Eleanor Rose

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A Norfolk horse owner charged in May with negligent treatment of her horse pleaded innocent to a charge of animal cruelty Friday in Wrentham District Court.

Eleanor Rose, 57, of 27 Marshall St., in Norfolk, is accused of failing to properly feed and care for her 22-year-old female mustang Shamray.

Rose has denied the charges and said she was doing everything she could to adjust the horse's diet after its inexplicable weight loss.

Norfolk Animal Control Officer Hilary Cohen obtained a search warrant and seized the horse May 17.

An examination revealed the horse was almost 300 pounds underweight and had gained 72 pounds 12 days later, according to court records.

The case was continued for a pretrial hearing July 8.


Case Updates

Shamray needs a new home.

The 22-year-old female mustang was seized from its owner in May after an animal cruelty investigation and is still recovering after suffering from severe malnutrition and lack of care.

Shamray was 300 pounds underweight when Norfolk Animal Control Officer Hilary Cohen obtained a court order and seized the horse May 17 with the help of police and animal control officers Sue Thibideau of Foxboro and Brenda Hamlin of Millis and Medway.

Cohen said Shamray has gained more than half of the weight back and would like to see her weight go up to 925 pounds.

"She's still finishing up rehabilitation," Cohen said this week.

Court records indicate Shamray was near death at the time and Cohen said clumps of hair fell off the horse due to the lack of grooming. Shamray is now on a feeding program and needs to gain more calories and weight before she can be placed in a home.

"This poor horse has been through some rough times over several years." Cohen said.

In 2007, Cohen was called after Shamray had apparently impaled herself on part of the barn that likely caused problems with her hind limbs.

Shamray is considered a special needs horse that can only placed at a home as a companion animal. She cannot carry a rider due to the loss of muscle control in her hind limbs, Cohen said.

"She's never going to be a ridable horse. But she will be a good companion horse," Cohen said.

Shamray's age is not considered old for a horse. With proper care, horses can live to 40 or more, Cohen said.
Cohen said Dr. Terrence McGee, a veterinarian of Pepperell, was instrumental in helping Shamray on the path to recovery. An hour after she was seized, McGee assessed Shamray's needs and spent countless hours working with Cohen to ensure her recovery and minimize any chances of her dying.

Due to the severe malnutrition, Cohen said, she and McGee had to feed Shamray as "if she were a newborn baby." For the first two weeks, Shamray could only be fed small amounts of formulated foods every two hours around the clock. It took them almost a month to get to the point where Shamray could be fed normal sized meals five times a day, Cohen said.

Shamray would now do best in a home where she would be on pasture with a run-in shed or an attached barn. She is up-to-date on all her vaccines, parasite control, dentistry, hoof care and other routine tests. Due to her ataxia, Cohen said, transporting Shamray would be difficult. Cohen is looking for a home that is within a half hour of Norfolk.

If anyone is interested in Shamray, they can call Cohen's office at 508-440-2816.

Shamray was previously owned by Eleanor Rose, 57, of 27 Marshall St., in Norfolk, who has denied neglecting the horse.

But last month in Wrentham District Court, Rose admitted to failing to properly feed her horse, which constitutes cruelty to an animal, said David Traub, a spokesman for Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisey.

A judge continued her case without a finding for one year with probation in an agreement by lawyers from both sides. Rose also forfeited her ownership of Shamray and was ordered to pay $2,722 in restitution to cover the care of the horse after it was seized. In addition, Cohen said, Rose is prohibited from owning livestock
Source: thesunchronicle.com - Aug 20, 2011
Update posted on Aug 20, 2011 - 8:24PM 

References

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