VON ORMY, Texas – Eight young horses were seized by Bexar County deputies after being starved, dehydrated and some even nearing death at their Von Ormy home, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The owner of the horses is now facing up to eight felonies for charges of animal cruelty torture.
Deputies served search and seizure warrants Friday afternoon at a home in the 16300 block of Benton City Road after receiving reports of the malnourished Arabian horses from neighbors and Animal Control.
The horses range in age between three and five years old, and Sheriff Salazar said when deputies arrived, it was obvious they had been malnourished.
One of the horses was even laying down and “appeared flat,” unable to get up due to its condition, according to Salazar.
“It’d be safe to say these animals were all tortured based on the conditions they were being kept in,” Salazar said.
The horses had no hay, no water, and Sheriff Salazar said it appeared some of the horses were just “days or hours away from death.”
Deputies filled the horses’ water trough before loading them up in a trailer and transporting them to Animal Crossing Veterinary Hospital in Floresville to be assessed by a veterinarian.
Once the horses are cleared from the veterinarian, they will be taken to Meadow Haven Horse Rescue and will be held there until the case with the owner goes through the process.
Sheriff Salazar said the owner, whose name has not been released, likely won’t be arrested Friday, but the case will be filed at large. He said the owner is looking at eight felony cases for each animal.
We’ll bring more updates to this story as they become available.