Six Additional Horses from Substandard Private Barn in Hazelwood

On Nov. 20, the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Task Force (ACT) carried out an emergency rescue of additional six horses from a private barn in Hazelwood, Missouri. The ACT visited the property last month and recovered nine severely underweight and neglected horses under a warrant. The six rescued on Nov. 20 are the final remaining horses on the property. Each horse was examined by a large animal veterinarian at the scene prior to being transported to HSMO’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch. The veterinarian’s exam revealed that all the horses were suffering from hoof issues and dental disease, and some have lameness issues. One has an open wound.

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Acting in cooperation with Hazelwood law enforcement, a warrant was issued by St. Louis County to confiscate the remaining six horses after months of failed negotiations with the property owner to inspect the living conditions and the health of the animals. The barns on the property were condemned this afternoon by the City of Hazelwood and deemed structurally unsafe due to rotting beams and shoddy electrical work. Several of the stalls had standing water in them and were infested with bugs because of it.

The ACT team first assessed the conditions of the 15 total horses in January of this year, and at that time offered resources to the owner so she could keep the animals on the condition that ACT be allowed to gain access to the property to reinspect on an ongoing basis. However, subsequent attempts to revisit the property and view the horses by ACT and Hazelwood police were repeatedly refused by the owner. When ACT and Hazelwood police officers arrived on the property on the initial rescue day in October, they observed that the horses had no access to water and were living in and eating their own feces. HSMO and Longmeadow were granted custody of the initial nine horses in early November, and they made plans to go back for the remaining six if conditions had not improved.

“For months, these horses have endured dangerous and inadequate living conditions. Without the proper care and nutrition they need, they might not have made it through the cold temperatures arriving soon,” said HSMO President Kathy Warnick. “We are again grateful to the Hazelwood Police Department for helping us get all 15 of these horses to safety at Longmeadow, where they will receive the medical attention and care they deserve.”

Donations to help support the care of these animals can be made on the HSMO website at hsmo.org/rescue. The Humane Society of Missouri’s Longmeadow Rescue Ranch is a haven for hundreds of abused and neglected horses, cows, goats, pigs, ducks and other farm animals. The ranch is one of the most comprehensive horse and farm animal care and rehabilitation centers in the country. In addition to animal care, ranch staff provide hands-on humane education experiences for both children and adults.

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A date for a disposition hearing to determine whether HSMO will assume legal custody of the horses will take place on December 19 at 3 p.m. If awarded custody, Longmeadow will make the horses available for adoption on a case-by-case basis. There is no current timeline for when they will be ready for their forever homes, but interested adopters can check the Longmeadow Rescue Ranch website at longmeadowrescueranch.org/adopt to see when they become available.