Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Horses taken to safety
An Animal League of Washington County volunteer gives a kiss to a horse Monday in a corral on a farm in Greenland where a woman was issued a felony citation last week for animal cruelty connected with the death of horses on her property. An additional eight horses on Monday were signed over to the Animal League of Washington County by the woman and removed from the property. Go to nwaonline.com/200512Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for a photo gallery.
FAYETTEVILLE — Police officers and volunteers from the Animal League of Washington County on Monday removed eight horses from property in Greenland as an animal cruelty investigation continued.
Greenland Police Chief Gary Ricker said his officers, with assistance from West Fork police and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, served a search warrant on property owned by Edie Mulvey at 10508 Lilly Lane around 9 a.m. Monday. Ricker said the officers and Animal League volunteers spent about 21/2 hours rounding up the horses and gathering information at the property. Ricker said the Sheriff’s Office used a drone to take aerial photos of the property and to help locate the horses.
Ricker said no new citations were issued Monday. His department issued Mulvey a felony citation last week for animal cruelty and failure to dispose of animal carcasses after receiving a complaint about horses being abused. Three horses at the property last Wednesday were described as being in severe distress. One of those died at the scene and two were removed. One of the two horses removed Wednesday died overnight.
Carmen Nelson with the Animal League, said the horses were scattered around the property in several different pastures and most of them had ribs showing and needed care for their teeth and hooves. She said Mulvey signed the ownership of the horses over to the Animal League on Monday, and they will be given medical care and begin a program of rehabilitation and training before they can be adopted. Nelson said some of the younger horses had apparently never been handled.
“We’ll find homes that can continue their training,” she said.
Nelson said the searchers also found several skeletons and the remains of some more recently deceased horses. She said some showed signs of have having died while giving birth and two of the mares removed Wednesday were also having problems with birthing foals.
“We’ll find homes that can continue their training.” — Carmen Nelson, Animal League of Washington County