After the Texas County Sheriff’s Department received numerous complaints about the condition of several horses at a Highway 32 property near Licking, an officer and a U.S. Department of Agriculture district veterinarian traveled to the location June 15 to investigate.
The veterinarian determined that one of the horses was in critical condition and three others were in bad shape. The 59-year-old man who lives there and his family were interviewed, and options were discussed.
The four ill horses were fostered out to a Mountain Grove woman, who picked them up that same evening and took them to her farm to care for them. Three other animals were allowed to remain.
The condition of the ill horses was to be checked frequently over the next few weeks, and the owner was advised that if he could find suitable pasture to rent, the sheriff’s department would help make arrangements to get the four fostered horses back to him.