Arizona authorities seize 7 malnourished horses in Buckeye

BUCKEYE, AZ - The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said deputies rescued several horses from a Valley home that were starved and neglected.

Seven horses were taken from a home in Rainbow Valley, southeast of Buckeye.

According to MCSO, deputies received a tip in July about the horses.

Deputies went out to the home and took one horse and warned the owner about the other horses.

This week, deputies went back out to the home to check on the horses and said they found several of the animals in worse condition than before.

Dr. Alana Hendrix, a veterinarian with the Durango Equine Vet Clinic, said at least one had an untreated infection.

“One had a halter on for an extended amount of time and that halter was growing into its nose and under its jaw,” said Hendrix.

Hendrix said several of the horses were hundreds of pounds underweight as she examined one horse with its ribs exposed.

“You can see all of her ribs, you can see her vertebrae, all the bones in her hips, all the bones up here. That's abnormal. We shouldn't even be able to see their ribs let alone feel them and put our fingers in between them,” said Hendrix.

MCSO said they could not find the owner of the horses but said the owner faces a number of animal cruelty charges.