National animal rights organization offering $5k reward in neglected horse case
A national animal welfare organization is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who abandoned a badly neglected horse in Royal Oaks.
The horse was spotted loose in the area of San Miguel Canyon Road in Royal Oaks on Sunday. Monterey County SPCA officials say the animal was in such pain that they had to humanely euthanize it.
Thursday, the Animal Legal Defense Fund announced it was offering its own reward in the case. The SPCA in Monterey County has already announced it was offering a $1,000 reward.
The undernourished horse, a gelding approximately 12-15 years old, was underweight and suffering from a severe, painful leg deformity likely caused by a significant, untreated injury. It also had severely overgrown hooves that had not been trimmed in several months.
“We ask anyone with knowledge of this abuse to com forward,” said Stephen Wells, executive director of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. “Other animals may be at risk of severe neglect and abandonment.”
Anyone with information about the case or who can identify the horse is asked to contact the SPCA at 373-2631, or the Animal Legal Defense Fund at 707-795-2533.
If caught, the horse’s owner or owners could potentially face charges of animal cruelty, animal neglect and animal abandonment.
