MONROE COUNTY, Ind. -- Two horses were found dead and a third horse was severely malnourished on a property in Monroe County last week.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office received a call about dead horses on a property in the northern part of the county and went to investigate. When they arrived they found two horse carcasses in separate stalls and a third horse that was still alive in a third stall.
That horse, which has been temporarily named Jake, was removed from the property and taken for immediate care. The sheriff's office says Jake is recovering well and responding to food. Blood tests determined that he was suffering from starvation and a veterinarian determined that his diet had consisted of dirt and wood for some time.
A 62-year-old man living on the property is believed to have been in charge of the car and control of the animals, according to the sheriff's office. He told investigators that the animals were ill and he had been consulting a veterinarian - subpoenas for existing records of those consults are being processed.
A State Veterinarian is scheduled to examine Jake on Thursday to conduct a "body scoring." Those results, along with the other findings from the sheriff's office will help the prosecutor determine if criminal charges will be filed in the case. The Monroe County Sheriff says potential charges could come from animal neglect and improper disposal of a carcass.
The incident remains under investigation by the Madison County Sheriff's Office's Animal Management team.
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