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EL PASO, Texas, 30 January 2012. KVIA News Article. More than 60 horses are in danger of starving at a ranch in the eastern part of El Paso County. According to animal activists, the number is dwindling as they claim two more horses died in the past several days.
“They need to be removed immediately,” said Dr. Amy Starr who says she put a horse down on the ranch last week. “It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow, it’s yesterday.”
I happen to know Doc Starr. She is my vet and a family friend. You will find no better person or Vet.
Sources tell ABC-7 they used a personal aircraft to perform a flyover and saw two additional horse carcasses. A similar flyover was performed with a helicopter last week where video was obtained that video showed a carcass in the desert about five miles north of Cattleman’s Ranch in Fabens.
The ABC-7 I-team drove to the area where activists claimed the horses were dying. Walking up a dirt road horses could be seen along the road with ribs protruding from their bodies. Photographs were taken, and shown to Starr who hasn’t been on the ranch since the day she was called by law enforcement to the scene. She seemed shocked at the pictures she saw.
“If they continue on that way one by one they’re going to die,” said Starr.
Not a lot of information has been released from the investigation that was launched by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Last week a news release stated that a veterinarian observed some of the horses and that they appeared to be in good condition, although they were skinny. That release came out a few days after Starr says she had to put down a horse on the same property.
According to the Sheriff’s Office news release, nearly 65 horses reside on the land. The horses were originally from Dona Ana County and were meant to be shipped to Mexico where they were to be slaughtered. Instead, the horses were in such bad condition they weren’t allowed in the country, and they were shipped to their current home in El Paso county where a hold order was placed on them. Activists claim they’re no better off, a thought Dr. Starr seems to agree with.
“Those conditions are not fit for cattle, much less a horse,” said Starr.
But a veterinarian with the Sheriff’s Office says the horses have water, salt blocks and molasses. Starr doesn’t deny that, but says it doesn’t make sense given the state of the horses that she has seen, or the pictures we obtained.
The Vet mentioned by the Sheriffs Office is Doc Weese of the U.S.D.A. I know him as well but cannot think that he has seen all or some of these horses, as he simply knows better. He has either seen the better conditioned horses of this herd or is getting his information second hand.
She (Doc Starr) also admits she has never been involved with a case where animals need to be removed from a property. Usually, she helps rehabilitate animals later on in the process, but after seeing what she has she says as a veterinarian she’s certain of one thing: that the remaining horses on the ranch need help, and quickly.
Watch the video with Diane of Rancho Allegre talk about this case.
Animal Advocates: Lack of seizure order keeping malnourished...
Latest news on these starving horses,....
EPSO closes animal abuse investigation, EL PASO CO., Texas — By Lauren Rozyla, KFOX News.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO) has closed an animal abuse investigation involving more than 65 allegedly starving horses on a Far East El Paso County property. However tonight, animal advocates and neighbors said they were shocked by the news.
"They have no food, no water," Vicky Placencia, who lives three miles down the road from the horses, told KFOX14.
Animal Advocates Diane Avery and Marilee Sage, who have followed this case closely, are calling this one of the worst cases of horse abuse they've seen locally.
The El Paso County Attorney's Office has confirmed they have found no criminal reason to continue prosecuting this case, according to Elhiu Dominguez, the office's spokesman. He issued this to KFOX14:
"The Sheriff's Office has told us the investigators did not find evidence warranting a seizure. Whether or not they'd call it a "closed case," that is a question for the Sheriff's [Office]. However we were told the investigation was concluded and that they will not further investigate this case unless they receive a new, credible complaint."
However, KFOX14 has obtained video showing carcasses littering the property, and horses in various stages of starving.
When KFOX14 arrived on the property on Thursday, about one week after the official launch of the investigation, we found horses wandering freely along the property, drifting into the road. In some cases, we could see ribs on some select horses.
KFOX14 tried to find the manager of this property for comment, but there was no apparent building, contact number or way of reaching anyone in any official capacity.
I have written before about the Horse Slaughter issue. I can sum up my feelings by saying you either give a horse a fair life or you end that life in a humane manner. But the people who starve and mistreat horses certainly have much less humanity than the misguided animal rights advocates who lobby for the non-slaughter of horses. There simply has to be a way, necessarily meaning a market, for unwanted horses to be humanely put down.
Some of these horses on this ranch in East El Paso County are obviously very sick and in really poor body condition,...several look to be in fair condition, for now, as well. However, as Diane Avery points out in the video interview, nothing can be done for the sicker and poorer horses until the El Paso County Sheriff issues a seizure order. As the second article states, the EPSO considers this investigation closed. I am asking readers to send an e-mail to the addresses listed below to ask El Paso County officials to immediately re-look the issue and take necessary steps including seizure of the at risk horses and possibly citing the owner in violation of Texas Penal Code Section 42.09 Cruelty to Live Stock Animal (a)(2), which is "intentionally or knowingly failing to provide reasonable and necessary food, water, or care for a livestock animal in the person's custody." Please be courteous in your e-mail as anger and insults won't push the County to re-look these horses.
El Paso County Sheriffs Office, Sheriff Wiles:
epsheriff@epcounty.com
El Paso County Commissioners Court:
commissioner1@epcounty.com
commissioner2@epcounty.com
commissioner3@epcounty.com
commissioner4@epcounty.com
El Paso County Judge:
countyjudge@epcounty.com
