2006

Horse rescuer faces animal cruelty charges

SPOKANE -- The owner of a Spokane County farm that cares for unwanted horses has been charged with animal cruelty.

Sleepy Hollow Horse Rescue owner Sarah Schak was issued citations for two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty Jan. 15.

Spokane County Animal Control authorities say Schak failed to provide necessary medical attention for a 3-year-old miniature horse and failed to provide adequate food for a 2-year-old quarter horse.

Schak, who has been in business just longer than a year, said she will contest the charges.

County Animal Control Director Nancy Hill said Schak was cited because additional information revealed that the horses' health declined while they were in the care of Sleepy Hollow.

The 5-acre farm rescues "unwanted, injured, neglected and slaughter-bound horses," Schak said.

Officers evaluated all 26 of the horses, finding many of them were too skinny, based on a scale that rates horses from obese to morbidly thin. Additional citations or orders for removal of the animals could follow, Hill said.

The farm got a batch of bad hay, which may have led to slight weight decline, Schak said.

"I don't think harm was the intent," Hill said. "But they have a significant amount of animals that rate very low to an alarming degree."