15 horses taken from their owners after horse found dead on Clatskanie property

Authorities removed 15 horses from a Columbia County property this week after a horse was found dead there, officials said.

The horse owners, who in 2014 pleaded guilty to first-degree animal neglect in a separate case, weren’t identified by the Oregon Humane Society, which publicized the seizure in a news release.

The humane society took the horses from a property on Colvin Road in Clatskanie on Monday morning, according to the news release.

Some of the horses were underweight and one looked like it had sores on its body that may have been related to continuous moisture exposure, the humane society said.

The agency worked with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office to serve a search warrant at the property. That was after someone who visited the property reported seeing two horses that may have been in critical condition. A humane society agent went to the property the next day and saw a dead horse.

A county animal control officer came along for the second visit.

The humane society and Sound Equine Options, a nonprofit based in Gresham, are caring for the horses at an undisclosed location. The horses aren’t up for adoption or viewing.

The horse owners haven’t been cited in connection with the recent seizure, according to the news release. Investigators are looking into the horses’ conditions.

The humane society said people found to have committed first-degree animal neglect face as much as $6,250 in fines and 30 days in jail. If 10 or more animals are involved, people who are convicted of the offense face as much as $125,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.

— Jim Ryan

oregonlive