These are the true conditions of the horses found on 3/14/07.
They reported to the news 7 DAYS post seizure the horses were abandoned and
left with no food or water for 6 months. Officer Wheaton and Officer
Dunlap TESTIFIED UNDER OATH there was no food or water found on the
property! After clearly lying to a Judge they got the Search and
Seizure order for 72 hours. There were issues on the farm, admitted to
by Mercier. However on any farm with that many animals there will be.
It was NOT perfect, however the issues were being addressed prior to AC
coming in.
Hay pile on 3/14/07
Hay pile on 3/20/07. How did it lower from 3/14?
Possibly fed to the horses? Also note the Safeguard
De-wormer tube used to de-worm young horses.
Round bale of hay on 3/14/07. Wheaton reported that the bales were
ENTIRELY leaves. Hmm.. It is common for a round bale to have
leaves in it, as they are baled from a field and sometimes fields have
trees next to them!
Horses eating from round bale 3/14/07. Do these horses
look starved? They do have their winter coats which make
them look unsightly, but this happens in ALL horses that live
outside. It is nature's defense against the cold.
Starved?
Dirty from the mud, but starved?
A different group of horses eating off from a fresh round bale of hay
on 3/14/07
More horses eating 3/14/07. Elvis standing there
eating. No one looks starved or abandoned
Grain found in barn 3/14/07. Again, looks like
there is food on the property! It was time to go
get grain, but all farms run out and go get more.
Just as your refrigerator at home is not fully stocked
ALL the time and you have to go to the grocery store, a
farm is no different!
If the farm was abandoned for 6 months, who put
these tire tracks in the driveway on 3/15/07?
It is clear that someone has been there
consistently. There is far more than 1 set
of tracks and there was no snow on 3/14/07.
The ruts in the driveway also clearly indicate
traffic throughout the winter.
2 empty bottles of liquid Ivermectin. This is
used to de-worm the horses. Notice the
wheelbarrow with manure in it. This is from
cleaning the stalls!
Again, testified under OATH no water
found on property.