Animal Cruelty and Lack of Law Enforcement

This week I have watched repeatedly, a story of two local men who have been charged with 18 counts of animal cruelty and other charges, in a case of horse abuse like nothing I have seen or heard before.

These two men were arrested and released after neighbors turned them in, because two of their horses kept breaking out of their fencing, and appearing in other yards.

When animal control and the sherrifs office went to investigate, they found 14 horses, severely neglected and starving.  Three of the fourteen horses were so emaciated their skin was hanging, and you could see every bone.  Two were mares, one a stallion.  The stallion will have to be put down, because he had an injury to his hoof that was never treated, and infection set in, so severe now that maggots had infested it.  The vet that is treating the horses has said the hoof will most likely fall off, due to the severity of the infection, and the infestation.  The vet said the mare will eventually be brought around.  The two mares were the ones that continuously escaped, trying to find food.

These men were not only released but the remaining eleven horses were left in their care, and the only thing that will be done, is animal control will make "periodic" visits to ensure that there is sufficient hay for them.

The men still face the charges, but there is nothing being done to remove the remaining horses from their property.  Most likely they will get a slap on the wrist, and allowed to go their merry way.  IMHO, those animals should have been removed and adopted out.  There are so many horse lovers out there that would be willing to care for, bring back, and love those animals, they should not have been left to face the possibility of further suffering, and possibly even death.

I wonder where the justice is, and why law enforcement didn't do more to protect these poor animals.