The media blitz begins.

Let's start with the first article I was able to find on the story when it broke. I'll add my comments in red so you can tell when it is me talking.

WILX - News - Headlines

Neglected Horses, Investigation Underway
Posted: 9:40 AM Mar 30, 2007
Last Updated: 9:42 AM Mar 30, 2007
Reporter: Beth Shayne
Email Address: beth.shayne@wilx.com

Sixty-nine horses are found in Jackson County starving and allegedly stranded. Right off the bat, I'm skeptical.

Jackson County sheriff deputies are searching for James Henderson Jr. and Matthew Mercier, the owners of Turn 3 Ranch in Grass Lake Township.

Both are wanted for animal cruelty.

To touch her is nothing but bone," says Jackson County Animal Control director Kim Luce of a 4-year-old mare. "You can see the rib indentation, her hips," she says. To my knowledge, this was one of the three that were found to be in very poor body condition. She had been sick, lost a lot of weight quickly, and was under veterinary care. That mare is one of 69 horses they found on this farm they've now impounded. They were left without food or water, the vet thinks probably since fall. No vet would be asinine enough to think that an animal could live for six months without food or water, would they?

"What got us on the property was a running at large complaint and when we got here there a dead horse in the driveway," Luce says. The horses' death had nothing to do with cruelty or neglect. Colic is a very common cause of death in even very expensive and well maintained horse barns.

30 were stuffed into the barn, where horse manure and urine acumulated, and the rest were running wild in fields with string, wire, and woods with nails on the ground. The defendants claim that Jackson County Animal Control put horses in the barn that had not previously been kept inside. They also assert that the dangerous debris was located outside the fenced horse areas and that JCAC allowed them access.

The problems seen endless, and they're about to multiply.

"We have approximately 30 pregnant mares," Luce says. Amazing, since only 10-12 mares were bred according to the defendants ... later reports claim 12 foals were born. Luce knows what about horses?

The goals for now are short term--get rid of the junk and make thie ranch liveable, and get these animals back to health. Beyond that, they're not sure what they'll do with as many as 100 neglected horses. Might have been wise to think that through, instead of running them through a livestock auction at slaughter prices.

Volunteers from the Leelanau Horse Rescue were called, let by Jackson County horse farm owner Laura Steenrod. "The biggest and most urgent need is hay--we need to get these horses fed," she says. Leelanau was called in after other rescue groups told JCAC there was no neglect ... they shopped around until they found a rescue group that said what they wanted to hear.

Volunteers have been at work now for about 48 hours, clearing fields, feeding the horses, and marveling at how anyone could do this.

"They just turned a blind eye and walked away," Steenrod says.

They are accepting donations to Leelanau Horse Rescue at P.O. 859, Leeland, Michigan 49654. They ask anyone with goods or services to call 517-937-0526 Many people claim to have not received receipts for their donations, and as a 501c3 organization, Leelanau Horse Rescue is required to submit certain federal tax forms but for some reason, they cannot be found ... LHR has also allegedly turned away donations and told people to just send money. No tracking for these cash donations has been found to date.

The two men face 93 days in jail on a charge of animal cruelty.

Find this article at:
http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/6789152.html

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