The long road to justice

The wheels of justice turn slowly.  Anybody who has ever had any dealings inside the legal system is well aware of that fact.  Between back logged court calendars, a shortage of judges, motions and appeals, it can take weeks, months and even years to resolve a legal matter . Every time Horse Haven is called in by local law enforcement to assist in the seizure of a horse or a group of horses, we help with the understanding that we may be caring for these horses for a long time.  The animals are evidence of a crime and it is our responsibility to maintain the evidence.

As was the case in July of 2012 when we were asked by the Morgan County Sheriff's department to pick up three extremely thin horses in Deer Lodge, Tennessee.  The owner of the animals was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.

We did what we always do. We loaded the horses and took them to the University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine to have them checked over by the veterinarians.  They were weighed.  Blood work and parasite checks were performed.  All three showed changes in their blood work that are consistent with malnutrition.  We took them to the Horse Haven barn where they started their long road to recovery.
 By November all three of them had gained a significant amount of weight and looked like normal horses again.
The owner had refused to surrender the horses after she was arrested, so even though they were now healthy, they were not available for adoption. She was offered a plea agreement by the District Attorney's office, which she refused.  The case was handed over to a grand jury who returned a true bill.  Finally, last Wednesday, 20 months after the horses were removed, the owner faced a jury of her peers.  Seven women and five men took less than an hour to return a guilty verdict.  Rose, Nelson and Daisy will be free to find their forever homes as soon as sentencing takes place.
Horse Haven is currently caring for 14 horses that are evidence in 3 different pending court cases in three different counties.  In order for justice to be served, we need to provide these animals with the best care possible while the wheels of the justice system turn slowly.  We support the District Attorney's offices that are prosecuting these cases with medical records, pictures and other documentation needed.  We also testify for the prosecution if warranted.

Won't you help us get justice for horses like Daisy? Your gift to Horse Haven will help us feed and care for horses removed from neglectful and abusive homes while they await their day in court. Donating is easy. Go to our website and click on the pay pal button. Or you can mail us your donation to HHT, PO Box 22841, Knoxville TN 37933.