I started hearing yesterday about a serious case of hoarding/neglect in the Astoria, Oregon area. Today I received this:Here is what the sheriff in Warrenton Oregon is saying:
All, Per reports of animal abuse related to horses at 89729 Young's River Road I responded and viewed the entire 80 acres and approximately 40 horses Monday April 28, 2008. I met with the owner John Haug who gave me an extensive open tour via 4wd. All horses and mules were in good shape except one that has a bad foot and has been unable to move to eat. Haug is the one who has this horse now penned in a barn and is giving foot care and antibiotics to bring back its health. Yes, the horse looks bad but Mr. Haug is taking care of it and has the experience to care for equine.
There are no dead horses on the property however an old horse died last year and was buried accordingly. The bones in the field are that of an elk that was butchered and not a horse. There is feed and supplements. There are many older horses here at this ranch some in their late 30's and early forties. They look as good as can be expected for horses this age. Think of it as people who age, we often lose our bone and body mass and look thinner than we did in our prime but it does not mean we are being neglected. The fields have plenty of grass and yes there is a lot of mud and water but this is not uncommon for the coast and there is plenty of high ground and shelter. This apparently started from a person who is upset with the Haugs and made some erroneous reports to the Internet world, PETA and LE. Deputies have responded to this residence 3 times in the last 2 months and have not found any abuse or neglect. In Clatsop County we take these cases very seriously and have seized many animals whenever there is any question regarding the animals safety or welfare. This includes from the smallest kitten to the largest horse including a recent seizure of 23 horses and many additional farm animals whereupon the owner was prosecuted. If anyone has any additional questions please feel free to contact me at the Clatsop County Sheriff's Office. 503 325-8635 
Well, here is the email of the cop who thinks that there is nothing wrong with the horses JMARQUIS@co.clatsop.or.us All right, where do I begin "This apparently started from a person who is upset with the Haugs and made some erroneous reports to the Internet world, PETA and LE." So did this person photoshop these pictures to make the Haugs look bad? 'Cause they are looking awfully genuine to me!
"All horses and mules were in good shape except one that has a bad foot and has been unable to move to eat. Haug is the one who has this horse now penned in a barn and is giving foot care and antibiotics to bring back its health. Yes, the horse looks bad but Mr. Haug is taking care of it and has the experience to care for equine. " NO, HE DOESN'T. If he did, he would have separated the horse to eat and given it proper care BEFORE, BEFORE, BEFORE it got thin! They simply DO NOT lose weight overnight or in a day or two. Not like that.
Secondly, few comments show your ignorance of horse care more quickly than stating old horses are thin because they are old. I cannot argue this more effectively than via pictures.
All of the following horses are over thirty years old and are horses I know in real life. All were rehabbed from starvation and this is what they look like now. I expect that a properly cared for horse will be proper weight no matter how old it was. Mr. Sheriff, you need to raise your expectations!
