Neglected Animals Rescued From Grass Valley Property
GRASS VALLEY (CBS13) — Horses, mules and other livestock were rescued from a Grass Valley property after investigators say they were badly neglected.
Animal Control filed animal neglect charges against the homeowner. Some of the horses, mules and a donkey were so malnourished, they needed to be euthanized.
"It's horrible. I don't know how anybody could do this—starve and animal," said Bonnie Easly.
One look at Bell, and you can tell something isn't right with this mule.
"These are ribs. They should be covered up with flesh."
Easly raises and sometimes rehabs abused mules in Grass Valley.
"I knew it was Bell. I had her mom, and I've had her dad."
When she volunteered to help the malnourished mule, she had no idea it was one she raised and later sold 11 years ago.
A disgusted Bonnie says Bell was just a few steps from death.
"In the last few days shes really perked a lot. Before she was hanging her head down, and could barely walk she was so weak."
Bell's owners are accused of neglecting her and nearly a dozen other animals. Animal control found one dead horse and had to put down another.
Cherly Wicks with Sammie's Friends Animal Shelter says one horse only had rocks in its stomach.
"That's what they do—eat anything. Eat dirt, eat rocks, whatever they can."
Wicks wishes the owners would have called for help before the animals got this bad.
"It makes me very angry and upset. The horses weighed about 500 pounds each and they should weigh 1,000—something like that."
