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48 horses seized from Middleburg farm
Outside the Loudoun County Animal Shelter off of Route 9 near Waterford, 48 horses graze in fenced-in fields.
Several of the horses have ribs showing clearly along their sides despite their thick winter coats.
Loudoun County Animal Control officers seized the horses the night of Jan. 22 from a property in Middleburg, spokeswoman Laura Rizer said in a press release.
In November, Animal Control officers received a complaint about poor conditions at the farm where the horses were living. Officers began monitoring the conditions of the horses, and during a routine follow-up inspection Tuesday, they became concerned about the decline in the animals' conditions, Rizer said.
Officers called Dr. Karen Iovino of Blue Ridge Veterinary Associates to come examine the horses. Iovino conducted tests such as feeling the horses' bodies to determine how much body fat was on them. She found their condition bad enough to recommend their removal, Rizer said.
Chief Animal Control officer Kim Miller said that the transfer of the animals to the shelter was a "very well-coordinated effort."
She said a system was in place, and the department had enough trailers to get them all transferred easily.
Miller added that after the transfer, the officers involved tried to group the horses in the same groups they were in at the farm.
Rizer said that the animal shelter is used to caring for just one or two horses.
"Having 48 is definitely a new experience," she said.
Rizer added that the shelter is fortunate that it has enough space on its property to accommodate all of the horses.
The 30 employees at the shelter are now taking care of the horses with help from volunteers. Volunteers who are not experienced with horses are being assigned to the dogs and cats to free up those with horse experience.
The shelter is seeking more volunteers with horse experience. For more information on volunteering, visit www.loudoun.gov.
The horses that were seized range in age from under 1 year to senior horses and are in varying states of health and temperament.
Criminal charges of animal cruelty, a Class 1 misdemeanor, are pending in the case. Animal Control is working with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to determine the nature of those charges. The name of the farm and horse owners will be released when those charges are decided.
On Jan. 30, a hearing will take place in Loudoun County District Court to determine if the horses will remain in custody of Animal Control.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office assisted in the transfer of the horses from the farm to the shelter.
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