Horse neglect
Homestead, FL (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 4, 2005
County: Miami-Dade

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Carlos Rubio

Miami-Dade police are expected to file animal neglect charges against a Homestead ranch owner from whom animal welfare advocates rescued five malnourished horses this week. Police did not identify the owner of the property, but police spokesman Randy Rossman said the charges likely will include one felony count and four misdemeanor charges of confining animals without sufficient food or water.

The felony count, which carries a possible five-year sentence upon a conviction, will be filed because a seven-month-old foal died from liver failure caused by poison from a plant.

The owner could be sentenced to one year on each of the misdemeanor counts.

"When they don't have anything to eat they eat anything that's green -- good or bad," said veterinarian Laine Hills, who is caring for the horses. "Only starving horses eat poisonous plants."

One mare was not expected to live through the day on Wednesday.

"She has lost half her body weight and there's no miracle drug to make them gain weight and build muscle mass," said Laurie Waggoner, director of the South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which rescued the horses on Tuesday.

Palena Dorsey, founder of Sanctuary Animal Refuge in Clewiston, Florida, was appalled with the treatment of the horses.

"You can count the vertebrae from the neck all the way down on that horse."

Dorsey is helping the SPCA create a Web site that will seek donations to cover the costs of nursing the horses back to health.

Rossman said neighbors had complained several times about the malnourished horses but when police checked on the horses in November they were in fair condition.

"Police tried working with the owners," he said.

As of late Wednesday night three of the four horses were eating hay and grains.

They were grazing on pastures at the SPCA's shelter in Hialeah Gardens and did not have additional medical issues, Waggoner said.

References

« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Miami-Dade County, FL

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