Question: If they were feeding
THAT much hay and grain as claimed in the bond hearing and donations on top of that how come you can see RIBS on nearly every horse? How come they didn't trim feet? Look at the pictures closely! These horses actually are in the same or worse shape as they were when seized, and that was just coming off winter!
Animal Control REFUSED to treat her, and would not allow Mr. Mercier on the farm or his veterinarian to treat her. Instead they left her to colic and cramp with no treatment. Luckily she pulled through this, but no thanks to Animal Control!
AC also LEFT her dead fetus in the pasture for MANY days, refusing to remove it. Meanwhile Mia is grieving the loss of her foal!
AC also called the news and reported "a mare was found IN THE BARN with her dead foal nearby". This again, was clearly to slander the name of the defendants and portray circumstances which would arise public outcry!
<<< This is how they left her 3/20/07
Bottom pic: They provided no treatment other than to stand over her and take pictures!
<<< This is Mia 3/14/07.
Brad Chaltry is the head of the first rescue group called onto the property. They were highly sought after by Kim Luce of Jackson County Animal Control. They were called for 4 days prior to seizure and hounded to come in to transport and provide medical care for the horses.
When they arrived, they were astonished that they were even called in to the farm. They were told by AC the horses had been abandoned for 6 months in Michigan winter. They knew that to be a lie just based on the condition of the herd. Too many were in good healthy condition for them to have ever been abandoned or starved.
Brad said that it appeared AC was doing everything possible to starve the horses to make it look like an abuse situation. AC left the property while Willie Cat (shelter worker) flooded the barn and stalls with 8 inches of water! AC Officers left to kick the door in at the owner's home with a search warrant to "find any information relating to the ownership of the horses". The ownership was never in question, no one else claimed ANY ownership interest in the animals. Animal Control was simply trying to get their hands on the registration papers to provide a dollar value to the horses! What rescue of animals needs the papers? Isn't this suppose to be about the CARE of horses, not how much they are worth?
Mr. Mercier had a truck load of round bales brought into the farm on 3/21/07. It was testified to by Brad that AC put 1 round bale out for 50 head of horses on the evening of 3/21/07 and left the others up front where horses could not get to. Mr. Mercier also witnessed this from outside the driveway! They then LEFT those round bales out front for a couple of days.
The horses at the Turn-3 Ranch were being starved by Animal Control at that point!
It was testified to that on 3/21/07 at approximately 6pm NO horse on the property had water. Remember, Mr. Mercier was kicked off the property at approximately 11 am 3/20/07.
So from 11 am 3/20/07 until 6pm 3/21/07 Turn-3 horses had little if anything to eat or drink! The night of 3/20/07 the temperature without wind chill was 18 degrees.
It was testified to by Brad that they "just couldn't take those horses from those guys". They "have never refused an animal in the years they have been doing this, but IT JUST WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN RIGHT to take those horses".
Turn-3 had never met the people from the rescue group. They had no knowledge of each other prior to Brad calling after seizure because of the INJUSTICE he felt was happening.
