Five Horses Seized In Starke County After Numerous Complaints

Starke County Sheriff's Department

The Starke County Sheriff’s Department this weekend responded to a complaint about neglected horses in the roadway.

On Sunday, officers received a call from a resident informing them that horses were in the roadway on Range Road south of Toto Road, and police noted that this was approximately the 10th call they had received in the last month concerning these horses in the roadway. The complainant told police that the horses appeared emaciated and unkempt, and said they were obviously not being fed and taken care of properly.

Officials say they had warned the owners several times to keep the animals in a pen and to ensure they are properly fed, but after receiving two calls on Sunday, County Prosecutor Nick Bourff was contacted and the decision to seize the horses was made.

A total of five horses were taken into custody and are being kept in an undisclosed location, pending the prosecutor’s decision on what to do with the animals and whether or not to press charges.