Horse found dumped in gutter

DOWNEY - After more than a week of investigating, SEAACA officers are still searching for suspects in the case of a severely emaciated horse that was found dumped on the 5400 block of Gardendale Ave. in South Gate last Thursday.According to officials, SEAACA officers received a call on July 22 at 6:10 a.m. stating that there was a full size horse lying in the street near Gardendale Park. Upon arrival, officers discovered a dark brown, female horse, which had to be euthanized on site. "They found an incredibly emaciated horse lying motionless, but clearly alive," said Capt. Aaron Reyes, director of SEAACA. "An officer took an apple from her lunch and fed it to the horse…Two neighbors brought a small amount of hay and fresh water and the horse clearly enjoyed it for as long as she could keep her head up." Called to the scene by officers, an equine veterinarian recommended that the horse be humanely euthanized. In a press release issued by SEAACA, a witness told investigators that she saw a dark colored SUV pulling a light colored horse trailer in the same area at about 1 a.m. that morning. Reyes said SEAACA officers panned the area, following several leads, but had yet to uncover any new information. "It's frustrating and sad - this horse was very hungry," Reyes said. "She was dumped and abandoned - done so after being starved and neglected. There's never a reason to deprive and neglect your animal…SEAACA is always here to help." Anyone with information is asked to contact SEAACA investigators at (562) 803-3301 x229.

********** Published: July 29, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 15