Abused Horses Remain Locked In Custody Battle

MOUNT AIRY, Md. (AP) -- They were wild, emaciated and in need of specialized care, yet more than two dozen horses rescued from a Pennsylvania farm more than eight months ago still face a long and costly journey to permanent homes.

The animals were discovered among dead horses on a farm with no visible signs of grain or hay, according to Amy Kaunas, executive director at the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area.

"It was a devastating scene," said Kaunas, who described the animals as living like wild horses, fending for themselves.

Rebecca Roberts, who owned the horses, was found guilty of 30 charges of animal abuse. Her appeal leaves the horses in limbo. Until the case is resolved, they cannot be adopted permanently and the stallions cannot be gelded and trained.

"The appeal process can be very lengthy, and they are still considered evidence," Kaunas said.

"Our hands are tied," said Christine Hajek, president and founder of Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue. She brought 21 of the 29 horses seized at the farm to her rescue operation in Mount Airy, Md. The remaining horses were taken to other farms.

The horses that came to Hajek were wild and couldn't be handled by most of her volunteers. The stallions had not been gelded, or castrated, so the animals began inbreeding, resulting in several uncared-for foals. And because the horses are locked in a custody battle, the wild stallions still cannot be gelded.

The cost of keeping the horses is adding up. Since January, the horses have cost Gentle Giants more than $50,000 to care for with four foals being delivered, including one stillborn. Grant support from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and PetSmart charities helped with the initial cost for medical care. Now the rescue farm is carrying the costs of long-term care.

"Like all of these cases, this is where it gets challenging. There's lots of media coverage in the beginning, but now that it's become an `old' case, public support and interest has died off," Hajek said. "That's where it becomes an overburden for the rescue."

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