The problem of horse neglect and abuse seems to be running rampant in Tennessee despite the efforts of animal rescue organizations.
The plight of neglected horses.
Some neglected and abused horses get caught up in the court system where owner negligence cases can take months and in the meantime both rescuers and horses suffer.
Tennessee is not alone in cases of horse neglect and abuse. On any given day, most horse shelters in the United States are over crowded and more horses are available for adoption than there are people able and willing to adopt them.
Some horses get caught up in the court system where cases can be pending for months. Right now, there are 22 animals at Horse Haven in Knoxville with cases still in the court system.
The director says they do their best to help law enforcement with investigations, but they take time and not every case ends in an arrest and nothing can be done with the horses until the investigation and court case are settled.
The San Diego Union Tribune recently reported horses available for adoption by an animal shelter in Romona, California. Authorities had been monitoring the horses since they were found wandering on a freeway in the area in May. Inspection after inspection of the property shere the horses were kept, found the horses without feed and water and finally they were seized and taken to the shelter.
Obviously neglect for some time, the horses had problems with their teeth and hooves. Of the seven horses seized, two were pregnant mares.
The process of getting proper care and rescuing neglected horses can take months. In most areas, requests from the public go to local law enforcement, which then calls in an expert, like an agricultural extension agent, to determine if there is probable cause to pursue an investigation.
"They look at water, feed, shelter and care and make a determination of what they see at that time," said Dr. Robert Burns, assistant dean of University of Tennessee Extension.
Often the animals that are neglected are removed from the property or hidden by the owners, making it difficult for law enforcement and would-be rescuers.
According to recue workers, when someone calls in with an anonymous tip or information on abuse, an investigation has to start from scratch. The process is most effective when people call with first-hand knowledge when something is happening and are willing to testify about what they know to the proper authorities
Legislators in several states, including Tennessee and California are working to make laws more effective and fair for rescue groups, law enforcement officals and horse owners that need help in providing the necessary veterinary care and feed for their horses and other animals.