SCSO returns horses involved in animal cruelty investigation
Courtesy photo. One of the horses involved in the animal cruelty investigation on the day they were seized from the owners. The horse’s ribs are cleary visible and extensive matting is prevalent.
Courtesy photo. This photo was allegedly taken by one of the horse’s owners and posted to facebook on Oct. 6, 2016. The photo’s original caption on Facebook (which has been editied out for privacy reasons) insinuated that the horse had just recently been procured around the time the photo was taken.
Courtesy photo. A wider view shows both horses in the small area that they have allegedly been kept in for a long period of time.
Courtesy photo. Unkempt hooves were also on the list of reasons why the responding deputy(s) believed that the horses were being neglected.
WARNING- Images included with this story may be considered disturbing and not suitable for all ages.
WALLACE— Two horses that were seized by Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) animal control deputies, allegedly for their own safety, have been returned to their owners due to a lack of evidence supporting an animal cruelty charge.
SCSO reports that on July, 19 at approximately 11 a.m., animal control deputies arranged for a welfare check on two horses in the Pinehurst area due to concerns over animal cruelty.
Upon completion of the initial welfare check, a plan was discussed to address any observable concerns.
The next day though, animal control officer(s) responded again to the location and seized the horses.
The owners then filed a complaint, saying that they were forced to sign over rights to the horses under threat of criminal prosecution and that their horses had been taken unlawfully.
SCSO Captain Jeremy Groves explained in a press release regarding the incident that a specific legal process is required for an animal to be seized and forfeited by law enforcement or its agent(s).
“Although animals may be seized during the pendency of an investigation, forfeiture of an animal requires a specific legal process. In order to seek forfeiture of an animal in the possession or control of law enforcement or its animal control agent, there must be evidence of probable cause that the animal’s condition and the circumstances of its condition meet the criteria for conduct considered ‘animal cruelty.’ Part of that process involves obtaining a certification from a licensed veterinarian that an animal meets certain certification criteria.”
After an inspection of the horses was preformed by a licensed veterinarian and a preliminary investigation conducted, SCSO says that there was, “insufficient evidence that the owners of the animals were engaged in any conduct that would be considered criminal.”
Although the veterinarian has encouraged relinquishment of the animals, SCSO maintains that the criteria at this time cannot be met to seek a court ordered forfeiture of the animals pursuant to Idaho code.
This press release by the SCSO was arguably put out in response to a large social media storm that began on July, 27 when news that the horses were to be returned to the owners went public.
One of the temporary caretakers of the horses took to Facebook Thursday with the hopes of keeping them from going back.
“I am reaching out to all of my horse family and friends !!!.The horses have been rescued because of severe neglect on 7/20/2017. They were locked in this stall for months! Somehow the county sees fit to return them. Can anyone help with this situation!”
The post immediately drew the attention of locals, both supporting the caretaker’s position and defending the owners.
Among the discussions, an individual replied to a comment by posting an older photo (possibly a screen shot) of one of the horses, as to compare the state it was in some time ago versus the condition it was found in recently.
The photo was allegedly taken by one of the owners and uploaded to Facebook on Oct. 6 of 2016.
The photo’s original caption infers that the horse had just recently been acquired around the time of the post.
Further, if the photo is genuine and the date it accurate, that would place this particular horse in their care for roughly ten months.
The Facebook post where this information was collected has since been taken down.
The temporary caretakers, who were also involved with the initial seizure, stated to the News-Press that they believed the horses had been deprived of food & water and kept in a confined space for an extended period of time.
They also noted that the horses had not been groomed in sometime, citing untrimmed hooves, unkempt manes, and sporadic matted hair.
One of the caretakers expressed his confusion regarding the horse’s treatment by the owners.
“If people need help with an animal, they need to be able to reach out and ask for help.”
The News-Press attempted to contact the owners, but they could not be reached for comment.
SCSO ended their news release by saying that the licensed veterinarian who preformed the examination has suggested a health plan directly related to the needs of the horses.
Because of this, SCSO will be monitoring the progress of the plan by the owners and if probable cause arises that indicates that animal cruelty is occurring, “then appropriate lawful action will be taken to seek forfeiture of the horses.”
It has been reported that the animal control deputy(s) involved with the seizure of the horses will be facing punitive action, but SCSO could not be reached to confirm or deny this.
SNP will continue to update this story in the future if more information is presented.