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Marion County officials found eight malnourished horses in "deplorable" conditions in a South Salem field last week, along with six dead horses and another that deputies euthanized. After an anonymous caller reported a ...
View full sizeMarion County Sheriff's OfficeDr. Barbara Kahl of United SPCA examines one of the mares found at a Marion County property. Seven other horses were found at the field, all of which suffered from rain rot, foot diseases, parasites and malnutrition, officials said.
Marion County officials found eight malnourished horses in "deplorable" conditions in a South Salem field last week, along with six dead horses and another that deputies euthanized.
After an anonymous caller reported a down horse in the 5400 block of 36th Avenue Southeast about 8:45 a.m. Friday, Senior Deputy Skip Lumley found the animal "mired in mud and obviously in distress," said Don Thomson, a spokesman for the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Dr. Terry Garros examined the horse and determined it was "quite old, suffering from malnutrition and near death," Thomson said. The horse was then euthanized.
Deputies found eight other horses on the 50-acre property, all of which were malnourished and neglected. The only drinking water available to the animals was from rain puddles, and they only had a small amount of straw grass to eat, Thomson said. No shelter was provided and some parts of the field were between 10 and 15 inches deep in mud.
Investigators contacted an unidentified, out-of-state woman who said she rented the property and owned some of the animals, which she agreed to surrender, Thomson said. She said the other horses belonged to another woman who cared for all the animals while the renter was away.
All eight of the animals ? one stallion, three geldings and four mares which all suffered from rain rot, foot diseases, parasites and malnutrition ? were taken to area rescue agencies about 9 a.m. today.
Deputies also found six dead horses on the property in varying states of decomposition, Thomson said. Several were buried in a grave.
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