In the summer of 2022, Animal Control Officers with Yakima County were called out to a home near Zillah on a report of a very skinny horse.
When they arrived, they found the horse with his ribs and hips showing.
The owner reported that he was having a difficult time financially to care for the horse. The Officers gave the man some tips on how to care for the underweight horse on his limited budget.
About a month later, the Officers followed up, and the horse, who they named, “Andre”, hadn’t improved. So, the animal control officers told the man to contact a vet for an evaluation.
According to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post:
A couple of weeks later, our ACOs arrived to meet the vet for the horse evaluation. We found Andre had no access to water. Water was offered to Andre and he drank for several minutes. The vet found that, although Andre was extremely underweight, there was nothing medically found to prevent him from becoming healthy with proper, adequate nutrition. The owner had continued to feed poor-quality hay and we learned he wasn’t feeding Andre daily. It was clear the owner wasn’t able to properly care for Andre. We suggested he surrender Andre to a person who can properly take care of him. The owner was warned that his treatment of Andre was bordering on animal abuse, neglect, and cruelty.
Yakima County Sheriff’s Office- Facebook
Following several visits, Andre was taken into custody for needed care.
Andre is now spending time in foster care receiving proper care and nutrition to restore him to proper weight and health. The Yakima County Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide updates on Andre’s recovery.
LOOK: Stunning animal photos from around the world
From grazing Tibetan antelope to migrating monarch butterflies, these 50 photos of wildlife around the world capture the staggering grace of the animal kingdom. The forthcoming gallery runs sequentially from air to land to water, and focuses on birds, land mammals, aquatic life, and insects as they work in pairs or groups, or sometimes all on their own.