On June 29, 2013, investigators found 12 horses living under appalling conditions on a ranch in Simi Valley, California. They were thin, malnourished and injured. Most heartbreaking of all, the skeletal remains of two dead horses were found on the ranch grounds as well.
According to news reports, rescuers estimated that the horses they found had been fed only three times a week instead of the customary twice a day. Some had been so poorly cared for that they could no longer chew or swallow what little food they got. They lived like this for an estimated seven or eight months.
One of the two dead horses, possibly a former Thoroughbred racehorse, had been left to die after breaking a leg at the ranch. The other horse was a mare that died with her colt nearby after she slipped between some rocks. Both both horses undoubtedly suffered long and agonizing deaths. Nothing was left of either horse but skeletal remains.
The rancher is under investigation by the Humane Society of Ventura County. To date, his identity has not been made public. This may have been a hoarding situation in which the owner took on too many horses and was unable to properly care for them all.
Please sign this petition to ask authorities in Ventura County to prosecute the owner of this ranch for animal cruelty and neglect.
Dear District Attorney Totten:
Those who have signed this petition, like many other members of the public, are appalled by recent news reports about the abuse and neglect suffered by several horses on a ranch located in Simi Valley. Twelve horses were discovered in a malnourished and injured condition. Even worse, the skeletal remains of two horses were found on the premises.
Investigators discovered this heartbreaking situation on June 29th. The identity of the rancher has not been made public, but presumably is known to the Humane Society of Ventura County, which is investigating the incident. Please open a criminal investigation and prosecute the individual(s) responsible for failing to feed and properly care for these horses.
We thank you for giving this matter the attention which it deserves.
