horse neglect

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Oregon Horse Sues Former Owner for $100K

Money would help pay for extensive medical bills

(Newser) - A horse named Justice may well get his sweet revenge. The 8-year-old American Quarter Horse and Appaloosa cross is suing his former owner for $100,000 with help from a legal advocacy group for animals, the Oregonian reports. Justice is seeking damages from Gwendolyn Vercher, 51, who was sentenced in...

Over 2 Dozen Dead Horses Found Decaying on Farm

Sheriff says farmer claimed it was their right

(Newser) - A Maryland sheriff's office says dozens of dead horses were discovered strewn across a farm in various states of decay, the AP reports. Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis told the Daily Times of Salisbury that an investigation was launched Friday into the 25 dead horses found on the 2-acre...

Police Horse Left With No Food, Water for 16 Hours Dies

Officer got distracted with paperwork

(Newser) - MC Hammer had been with the Denver Police Department since November 2015, helping his human partners patrol the city—until one of the 10-year-old police horse's mounted officers had what appears to have been a fatal lapse of memory in September. The Denver Post reports that Officer Joseph Teeter...

Neglected Horses' Hooves Were 3 Feet Long: Rescuers

Md. rescue group says horses were found in stall with manure piles 3 to 4 feet high

(Newser) - A concerned call about the welfare of someone's pet pigeons led to a disturbing discovery in a Maryland stable: three horses in such a severe state of neglect that a local rescue group was absolutely horrified. "Of the over 2,170 horses DEFHR has rescued in its 26-year...

Struggling Charity Leaves Ex-Racehorses Starving

Some horses put down as foundation falls behind in payments

(Newser) - One of the world’s top charities supporting retired racehorses has fallen far behind in payments to support the horses, leaving scores of the creatures malnourished, starving, or dead; at least two have had to be put down, the New York Times reports. The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in upstate New...

Debate Rages as Congress Mulls Ban on Horse Slaughter

(Newser) - All US horse slaughterhouses have closed, but horse slaughter remains a big business. Thousands are shipped to Mexico and Canada, with sometimes-grisly results. “The treatment of these animals is absolutely unspeakable,” said one Mexico City veterinarian tells Salon. Now, Congress is considering a bill to ban both slaughter...

Think You've Got it Bad? Try Being a Horse

Economy woes spur owners to abandon their steeds

(Newser) - Humans aren't the only ones hurt by recession, as hundreds of thousands of horses could attest. While more owners are abandoning their steeds as the costs become a burden, fewer people are able to help fund horse rescue centers, reports the New York Times. The result has been some 100,...

Economy Hobbles Horsey Set

Recession reins in discretionary income for horse lovers saddled with boarding costs

(Newser) - Like Big Brown at the Belmont Stakes, many horse owners are finding it difficult to stay on track, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. With feed and stable costs rising, fewer horse lovers are able to buy new steeds or keep the ones they have. "I've had calls from people who...

Horses Abandoned As Economy Fails Them

Rising grain prices, abattoir laws doom the animals

(Newser) - With feed and fuel prices rising, more US horses are being abandoned and left to die. “It's a growing problem," says Brent Glover, who runs a horse rescue ranch. "Basically, it's the economy.” Glover’s own hay costs have ballooned from $28,000 to $80,000...

PETA Goes After NYC Carriages
 PETA Goes After NYC Carriages 

PETA Goes After NYC Carriages

Animal-rights activist calls the trade 'disgusting'

(Newser) - Animal-rights activists have long been champing at the bit to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, and a PETA publicity strongman is in town to do just that, New York magazine reports. Though Michael Bloomberg and others in City Hall support the trade, PETA's Dan Mathews—legendary for his...

Horses Shipped to Grisly Demise
Horses Shipped to Grisly Demise

Horses Shipped to Grisly Demise

Banning slaughter in US has unintended consequences across borders

(Newser) - A US ban on horse slaughter has had some gruesome unintended consequences, the New York Times reports. American horses are still sold for their meat, but they’re now shipped to Mexico or Canada, facing first a grueling transport, and then often a nastier death than they’d receive in...

Harder Times Make for Hungry Horses
Harder Times Make for
Hungry Horses

Harder Times Make for Hungry Horses

Collapse in equine market leads to rise in neglect of animals

(Newser) - When the sun was shining on the economy, millions of Americans tried to make hay by buying horses and moving into backyard breeding. As things slow down, the animals are getting harder to sell and pricier to feed, making horse neglect and abandonment a big problem, the Wall Street Journal...

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