20 malnourished horses seized by SPCA need homes

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, Fla. (WSVN) -- The South Florida Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is hoping to adopt out 20 horses discovered malnourished Tuesday.

While the horses' owner claims to have fed his animals twice a day, the SPCA contends that the horses probably ate only once a week, with some eating even less frequently. "You look at some of the horses, and you can see every rib, every vertebrae," said Richard Couto of the South Florida SPCA. "It's unfortunate."

Officials said the larger, more dominant horses hogged up the food on the occasions they were fed, leaving nothing for the weaker, smaller, younger ponies.

"It's heart-breaking," added Denise Bourgoignie, who plans to adopt some of the horses. "In fact, I'm going to take a couple. I have some room at my barn. I'm going to take a couple until they get healthy. I just can't walk away from something like this."

The SPCA rounded up only 10 of the most severely underfed horses from the ranch along Southwest 168th Street and 192nd Avenue because the organization said their facility could not accommodate all 20 of the sickly equines.

The SPCA would prefer to have no more than 15 horses in their care, however they already have 30 horses in thier care prior to Tuesday's additions due to the recovery of horses recently discovered at slaughterhouses in South Florida. That is why they are overloaded and are asking people who can adopt them, to go ahead and contact them.