State Fairgrounds, Nashville, Tenn. July 2, 2011NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Saturday, volunteers were nursing dozens of animals back to health at the State Fairgrounds after investigators seized them from two local farms.
Gallatin-based Volunteer Equine Advocates is caring for the animals that were taken in two separate cases. In one case, the agency says the Wilson County Sheriff's Department called and asked for their help after an email complaint launched an investigation into three starving adult horses and a foal in the Liberty community.
Volunteers picked up the two adult horses and the foal Friday. The other horse has not been seen. Care-givers for the animals say they are in very bad shape.
"They're walking skeletons. You can see the ribs, not just feel them. You can see the ribs; you can see the back bone; you can see the hip bones prominent," said a representative from Volunteer Equine Advocate, Jamie Clifton.
The owner of those three horses could face animal cruelty charges. Those animals will now be moved to Volunteer Equine Advocates over the next couple of days.
In the other case, volunteers at the fairgrounds are dealing with nearly two dozen animals seized from a farm in Warren County. It's not the first time that property has been raided amid allegations of animal neglect.
The McMinnville Southern Standard reported this week, volunteers and veterinarians took 21 horses, mules, and donkeys from the property of Sid Stanton who was charged with animal neglect.
Stanton is free on bond for other charges stemming from a 2009 raid. In that case, deputies took 23 starving horses from his farm and one later died. Stanton has maintained his innocence, saying he rescues already-malnourished animals, and tries to nurse them back to health.
