Investigators in Clallam County discovered 15 horses, one with a foal, in dangerously poor condition when they served a search warrant on Thursday. The horses showed “various degrees of starvation and malnutrition,” said Clallam County Deputy Ron Cameron in a statement.All of the horses were seized by the Sheriff’s Department.
Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Deputy Tracey Kellas developed probable cause to investigate a report of the horses going un-cared for. When the search warrant was executed, a veterinarian accompanied deputies to examine the horses.
Two of the horses were found to be so thin that they were only given a fifty percent chance of surviving. One of those had infected wounds had to be placed on antibiotics. All of the horses were at leas 50 pounds underweight, and all but two were estimated to be 100-200 pounds underweight.
The horses were placed in the care of the Sheriff’s Department, where have hay available to them at all hours, the department said. Hay has been provided via donations and by the owner of the property from which the horses were seized (the horses were not in the care of the property owner).
Charges have not yet b een filed, but the investigative report will be forwarded to the prosecutor for assessment. The horse owners have 15 days to request the return of the horses.
Article source: http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-horses-seized-by-clallam-county-sheriffs-hundreds-of-pounds-underweight-20120218,0,7314807.story?track=rss