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Posted on Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 8:37 a.m.

Dozen horses found starving, neglected in Salem Township

By Cindy Heflin

Officials from the Humane Society of Huron Valley are investigating the death of one horse and severe neglect of about a dozen more in Salem Township, WDIV reports.

The Double Diamond boarding facility just off Seven Mile Road in Salem Township said it has not been able to contact the owner of the horses, which are badly malnourished and suffering from disease, the report said.

Animal cruelty charges are possible.

Comments

Barn Help

Fri, Dec 9, 2011 : 5:35 p.m.

Now do you see why they need to have the Michigan slaughter law legal If you can let a horse go for $100.oo it will be taken care of (maybe not the way u want) But it will not be starved to DEATH Wake up Michigan The new Michigan law will stop about 90% of this poop I know i will catch heck for this post but the truth HURTS BIG TIME But Please Send the Horse Owners & And the Owners of DD for neglect To Jackson if you can (please) life in Jackion is in order

Goofus

Fri, Dec 9, 2011 : 2:47 a.m.

Never fear! Never fear! Conan Smith and the Animal-lovin' Superheroes of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners will put out an RFP and get things righted lickety-split!

Goofus

Fri, Dec 9, 2011 : 5:48 a.m.

Just don't expect any help if you're a cat or a horse. Only time to euthanize the stray dogs does young Mr. Smith.

hypsi

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 10:28 p.m.

Horrible Horrible Story. There is so much wrong here...just as wrong as this federal law: Horses can be slaughtered for meat <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20111130/NEWS07/111130052/Horses-could-soon-slaughtered-meat-U-S-" rel='nofollow'>http://www.freep.com/article/20111130/NEWS07/111130052/Horses-could-soon-slaughtered-meat-U-S-</a>

janejane

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 9:55 p.m.

What a terrible story. I cringe at the thought of any animal abuse. And how can the property owners watch this happen? How can this happen in such a supposedly proactive philanthropic region? Shame. Those poor trusting loving animals. How sad they have been neglected and abused so horrifically. I am heartsick.

lyzz j

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 8:44 p.m.

You know, it takes a crappy person to abandon animals like that, but what does it say about the people who could have helped these horses and instead watched them waste away like this...

Gloriagirl

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 7:53 p.m.

Cut the budget to HSHV by $250,000 but give $400,000 to a skate park, shame,shame, shame commissioners!

Andrew

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 8:38 p.m.

The HVHS funding issues are with the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. The skatepark is funding comes from the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission ($300k) (which is funded out of the Parks milliage not general fund), Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund ($400k from the state parks trust) and Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark ($100k private non-profit contributions). a) Not the same people b) Not the same budget(s) c) skate park is one time funding HVHS is recurring Not to say we shouldn't fund HVHS (I support that), but the skatepark is a solid return on investment and not-funding it won't fix the issues the comissioners are having with the HVHS

pbehjatnia

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 7:25 p.m.

gonna let animals starve while on your property? shut 'em down and don't ever let them open again.

Jennifer Smith

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 6:07 p.m.

What is wrong with people? This breaks my heart that people are capable of such horrific acts. I am glad that they were found and are now being treated.

Goofus

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 5:49 p.m.

I wonder if Commissioner Conan Smith wants to bid out the horse rescue &quot;at face value&quot;?

alan

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 5 p.m.

The boarding facility can't find the owners? Under Michigan law the party who has care and custody of the animal is the party responsible for the animal. That would be the boarding facility.

justcurious

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 6:36 p.m.

I hope you are right. They had to have known the condition of those horses. How long did they wait? I wonder if they reported it or someone in the neighborhood.

justcurious

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 4:05 p.m.

In the WDIV article it says &quot;The Double Diamond boarding facility said it has not been able to track down the people who rent the space for a dozen horses, who appear to have been abandoned.&quot; Why didn't they take responsibility if the horses are on their property and contact authorities before it got this far? I would like to know if they attempted to help in any way. Another disguising animal cruelty story.

Edwin Gustafson

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 6:50 p.m.

There's no policy that abandoned horses become the property of the boarding facility once a certain threshold of neglect is reached?

Jennifer Smith

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 6:09 p.m.

I agree, because even though the owners are the ones paying for the animals to be boarded, how is it possible that the facility let it get this far? Almost seems worse to me.

justcurious

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 5:28 p.m.

I meant disgusting not disguising.

bedrog

Thu, Dec 8, 2011 : 3:45 p.m.

This needed sort of investigatory service by the HSHV is being jeopardized by the county commissioners' footdragging-to- refusal to restore funding to the organization that had been promised. One commissioner ( per a2.com) has even tried to parse/weasel word her way around the issue by saying a 'deal' is not a 'contract'. Truth in advertising: i'm a volunteer there, just back from walking an incredibly charming 3 legged puppy ( who will probably get adopted, based on her personality) , who'd be dead now if the HSHV hadnt been there at both medical and shelter levels.