Knowledgeable horse people are needed to better monitor cases of neglect and abuse
Published in the December 10-23, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Katrina Marie Loera
Katrina Marie Loera
and her horse Hopi
The recent seizure of 38 horses in Gilroy prompts real concerns about the way in which we manage horses in Santa Clara County. It is not just the story of one man hoarding and neglecting horses, it is also the story of how the agency paid to protect horses in this county failed to do its duty.
This particular man had more than 50 horses in at least two locations, and all the animals were in very poor condition.
He was breeding horses, trading horses and hoarding more horses than he could feed. Santa Clara County Animal Care and Control was aware of the neglect and abuse for more than two years and did nothing about it until the public and media got involved.
Many advocates who were involved in this case believe that Santa Clara County Animal Care and Control did not act because they did not have the resources to take on these horses. They did not want the responsibility of these horses, so they let the neglect and abuse continue for years.
Most of the 38 horses are now in rescues, at shelters and in foster care. The task of finding homes for these horses was arduous.
San Martin Animal Shelter worked closely with a few volunteers in the horse community to find reputable rescues and fosters for these horses. SCCACC gave many of the horses to unknown individuals and to the Monterey County Shelter where they are at risk of being euthanized if they are not adopted. Their adoption fees are $1,500 and more.
There are many unanswered questions in this case. Why was this man allowed to have so many horses? When calls came in regarding the care of these horses, why did ACC insist these horses were fine? Why didn’t the vet monitoring these horses report the neglect? How will the county prevent this from happening again?
So how do we change the management of horses in this county and prevent this sort of abuse from happening in the future? We need to look closely at California law and find ways to use it to toughen up the laws in our county. Enforcement is based on interpretation of the law.
We need to define the law in favor of the horses, not the neglectful owner.
Our ACC needs to be restructured so that one man does not make all the decisions, but a team of qualified horse experts. Every officer needs to be retrained to recognize early signs of neglect and abuse.
ACC needs to work with a team of knowledgeable horse people in the community to better monitor cases of neglect and abuse. Horses should not be considered livestock and should be placed in a category of their own so that the laws protecting them are specific to horses, not all livestock.
If we adopted a no tolerance policy, law enforcement could fine and prosecute this sort of neglect and abuse immediately.
We need to manage breeding of horses in our county so that only those qualified and willing to adhere to the laws are allowed to breed. Better yet, we need to support our local rescues and encourage people to adopt rather than breed.
The county needs to adopt a comprehensive plan to manage and protect our horses.
This is not an isolated case. It’s time to create change in Santa Clara County. The horse community has voiced its concerns loud and clear.
Please continue to voice your concerns regarding the mismanagement of this case.
Katrina Marie Loera is the animal welfare advocate for H4H-Humans4Horses. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life. She can be reached at [email protected].
