OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. -- The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office has opened a criminal investigation into possible animal abuse or neglect after a horse died on Sunday.
Three other horses, which appeared underweight with their hips and ribs showing, were also seized from a property along 22nd Avenue.
The Sheriff’s Office released the following statement Monday on behalf of Sheriff Noel Stephen:
“In response to the active investigation concerning abused horses in Okeechobee County, the Sheriff’s Office is conducting both a criminal investigation as well as an internal investigation into allegations of neglect. The Sheriff’s Office can offer no further information in regards to either at this time. We will do our best to keep everyone informed as we proceed forward. Rest assured that I will do whatever is necessary to make sure this investigation is completed correctly and in a timely manner. At the completion, all information will be released”.
Several people contacted WPTV saying they were concerned about the condition of one of the horses after pictures were posted on social media of the horse in poor health.
“You can go without a meal, feed your damn animals,” one woman said, who did not want to be identified.
That woman said she has called animal control over the years, but felt posting pictures to social media would gain faster attention and action.
“I said that horse has lost all of its life, it’s going to die,” the woman said.
People commented on her posts that they had contacted animal control months ago about the horses on that property. Now, they wonder if more action could have been taken sooner.
“I found out people have been calling for the past 6 months about those horses and nobody would do anything,” the woman said.
Before the horse died Sunday, The Equine Rescue and Adoption Foundation in Palm City rescued her, naming her “Freedom." Rescuers say she later passed on her own while surrounded by her helpers.
The woman who posted the social media pictures hopes something positive will come from the horse’s death: a better outcome for future animals possibly facing neglect.
“They don’t need to just go after the people doing it, they need to go after the sheriff department and animal control for allowing it to go on this long,” the woman said.
