Nine emaciated horses seized this summer in Washington County are being successfully rehabilitated in Windham, according to an equine advocacy organization.
The horses were living in Washington County without adequate food, water or shelter when they were seized in August by law enforcement officials, the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals said Thursday in a prepared statement.
Washington County District Attorney Matthew Foster said Friday in an email that the animals were seized in Whiting but did not disclose whose care the animals were in at the time.
“The owners agreed to not fight the forfeiture of the animals and pay restitution in the $8,000 range, so the criminal charges were dismissed,” Foster said.
All of the horses were underweight, infested with lice, required extensive dental care and had overgrown hooves and intestinal parasites, according to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals statement. They since have received extensive care at the society’s River Road Farm in Windham and have gained significant weight.
This week, the society was awarded legal ownership of all nine horses, according to the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals statement.
“Soon, all nine horses will complete their courses of rehabilitation and be available for adoption,” society officials wrote.
