Today I had an email called to my attention. The author paints a grizzly scene of blood crazed LA Animal Control officers joyfully murdering the rescue horses of the Equus Horse Sanctuary in Juniper Hills without any sort of cause. It then urges you to call anyone who will listen, from the LA Animal Control to the Governor.

This email sent up a bunch of red flags for me so I started to do some research. A quick google turned up this news story on what was actually going on along with plenty of other information.

Watch this news story first to get the facts!
"Many Horses Found Starving and Near Death at Sanctuary" [link]


Now, here is the email/post that has been circulating [link]


I'd like to take a moment and dispel a couple of the most blatant falsehoods being spread by this email:


FALSE: Animal Control is bloodthirsty and will kill all the horses!

TRUTH: Animal Control was forced to put down about a dozen horses that were suffering so terribly it was doubtful that they would even survive the trailer ride to safety. The remaining horses are in their custody and are receiving medical attention and proper food and water.


FALSE: Horses at Equus Horse Sanctuary lived their lives in "rustic contentment".

TRUTH: Equus Horse Sanctuary had had the water supply shut off to their property (most likely due to nonpayment). The average horse requires 8-10 gallons of water per day, which means Equus Horse Sanctuary needed at least 800-1,000 gallons of water per day to properly water the horses in their care. They were receiving NONE.

When animal control went to investigate the lack of water, they also found that the animals were not receiving food, many to the point of starving, and action was taken.


FALSE: Its normal for old horses to get thin, even to the point you can see their ribs.

TRUTH: Thin is not a sign of old age, it is a sign of poor care. Older horses require extra care to keep their weight on, if they do not receive it they may become unhealthily thin. Here is a great article on what is required to keep weight on older horses

FHOTD-"Old Does Not Mean Skinny" [link]

Also, here are just a couple examples from my own gallery of older horses that are receiving proper care:

Rosie (Morgan mare age 25):
Shante (QH/Arab gelding age 27):

FALSE: Animal Control are the bad guys! They're so cruel for putting those horses down and taking the others away!

TRUTH: The owners of Equus Horse "Sanctuary" are the ones to blame for the death of the horses. It never should have come to the point where Animal Control was forced to step in and humanely euthanize suffering animals, and provide food and water to the rest.

After seeing the news report on what was going on, I feel it is very obvious that this email is being circulated by someone who was a part of the abuse of these horses. What it sounds like we have here is a case of animal hoarding, which is a mental problem. People take on more animals than they can handle and refuse to let them go even as the horses are suffering from neglect. An animal hoarder often cannot even understand that there is anything wrong with their horses, even as their animals are suffering and dying.

Please DO NOT call up Animal Control, the Govenor, the media about the "monstrous sadists of LA county animal control". The fact is the Animal Control officers are working hard to SAVE these horses and should be commended for their efforts!

If you truly would like to help these horses, contact the LA Animal Control department, thank them for their efforts and ask how you can donate your time and/or money to the rehabilitation of the remaining horses. They can be contacted at 562-658-2000



Thanks for reading everybody! With any supposed case of animal abuse, make sure to do your research and know your facts before taking action! Animals need our help, just make sure you're informed