RANDOLPH COUNTY — A Union City woman has been charged in connection with six horses that were found malnourished and neglected on her property.
According to court records, the woman was charged in Randolph Superior Court with one count of cruelty to an animal, a Class A misdemeanor.
It began in November when a Randolph County Sheriff's Office deputy was called on report of a horse laying in a neighbor's pasture.
Animal Control Officer Joe Sheets conducted an investigation and found that six horses — four adults, a pony and a mini pony — were all in poor health.
The pasture where the animals were kept was loaded with metal and wood in poor condition. There was no foliage, no food or hay for the horses.
The animals were seized and the State Board of Animal Health conducted an additional investigation, Sheets said.
Investigators from the State Board of Health said four of the horses were given a 1 on a 1-9 scale and two others score 2 and 2.5. A healthy horse range is 4-6 on the scale, officials said.
