SWEET – The Idaho Humane Society and Gem County Sheriff’s deputies seized 91 horses from a ranch in Sweet Wednesday
morning, saying the animals were malnourished and in need of medical attention.
Lisa Chavez-KTVB
Doctors says some of the horses seized from a ranch in Sweet may not survive. The Idaho Humane
Society impounded 91 horses Wednesday amid accusations they were malnourished and in need of medical care.
A veterinarian says some of the horses were blind and others had hooves so long they could barely walk.
Eleven horse trailers were needed to haul away all the horses, and it took most of the day to get them loaded.
Owner Karen Shay of Diversity Farm told NewsChannel 7 she breeds horses and sells them.
However, someone recently turned her in to authorities claiming animal abuse and neglect.
Shay claims the horses were fine, and the real damage happened when the volunteers were loading them up.
"These people who are running up my horses that are not in bad shape are running them into fences, they are putting 11
in a four-horse trailer, they are putting them with mares, little ponies with mares they are going to get hurt, and they are
going to take pictures of it and they are going to blame me," Shay said.
Just after 9 a.m. Gem County Sheriff's deputies along with volunteers from the Idaho Humane Society and the Idaho Department
of Agriculture loaded 91 horses and took them away.
"It's a thin horse and this is actually in better shape, but a lot of these horses are skeleton, even worse, you can feel
the spine sticking out.," said veterinarian Dr. Jeff Rosenthal.
Lisa Chavez-KTVB
Owner Karen Shay looks on as her horses were taken away by the Idaho Humane Society Wednesday.
Shay says she plans to take her case to court.
The horse Dr. Rosenthal described is one that may not live.
He says the animal suffers from malnutrition and has been blinded by infection.
Shay says she has hired an attorney to defend her against the allegations.
She plans to fight for her horses and says she intends to get them all back.
The horses were taken to the Wild Horse Corral where they will be fed and nursed back to health.
