25 horses rescued from horrid living conditions in Enumclaw



ENUMCLAW, Wash. -- The King County Sheriff's Office has removed 25 horses from a property in Enumclaw, and deputies are looking to arrest their owner.

Investigators said the owner, Sharon Hunter, has been storing her horses at a rental property but hasn't been taking care of them.

The property owner told Q13 their agreement was to house the horses for a week or two. That was in August.

He called authorities when he noticed the horses were still there and also not being fed.

"If you can’t take care of an animal, you shouldn't own them ... Find a home for them ... give them a chance," the property owner Vance Sayers said. 

Officials said the horses were living without covered shelter. A veterinarian who evaluated the animals said they were walking around in deep mud mixed with feces and urine, making them prone to skin conditions like "rain rot."

The horses also had parasitic worms.   

Rescue groups said there could be more horses that Hunter owns being housed on other properties. They say she's been moving the horses from property to property for more than three years.

“I would encourage anybody that has horses owned by that individual to call King County, to tell them they have the horses, especially if she’s not feeding them," Terry Phelps with SAFE Horse Rescue said. "Speak up. That’s been another issue. When she didn’t show up, they fed the horses, and it drug this on for years."