August 2, 2008
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

DEPUTIES SEIZE MALNOURISHED HORSES FROM PASTURE IN MIMS 

Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies seized eight malnourished horses from a pasture in Mims this weekend after receiving an anonymous complaint that the animals were underweight and not being properly cared for. One of the horses, a mare that had been nursing its 3-month-old foal, died while being loaded onto a trailer Sunday morning. The remaining seven horses are in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office and are being housed at various farms in Volusia County with the assistance of the Horse Protection Association of Florida. 

Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office’s Range Unit who checked out the pasture along Country Road on Saturday discovered that all eight horses were underweight and a mare was so weak that it was unable to stand. Deputies noted that there was no feed or hay on Saturday and the horses were living in stalls and small paddocks that were dirty with mud, feces and urine. While Deputies immediately called a veterinarian to the pasture to provide food and medical care to the horses, the caretaker contacted the property owner and he showed up with hay. On Sunday, deputies along with the vet and volunteers from the Horse Protection Association returned to the pasture to seize the horses. Despite several hours of efforts to help the mare to its feet, it was unable to stand and was loaded onto a trailer, where it died. 

The Sheriff’s Office plans to initiate civil court proceedings to seek permanent custody of the horses. No decision has been made on whether the seizure will result in criminal proceedings.