‘Serious neglect’: couple charged with neglect after emaciated and dehydrated horse found near Nannup

A Nannup couple has been charged with animal cruelty and neglect after allegedly leaving a 16-year-old horse in a “faeces-ridden” paddock without food for more than a week in July. The RSPCA claimed the animal’s condition was so dire that RSPCA veterinarians had to give it intravenous fluids and medication before it could be removed from the property. Inspectors found it had taken to eating trees and fence posts around the paddock in the absence of adequate food. The 16-year-old chestnut thoroughbred mare was allegedly found emaciated and dehydrated in a faeces-ridden paddock at Scott River, near Nannup on July 22, with the only available water in a plastic trough filled with rubbish. The owners — a 43-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man — were questioned by an RSPCA WA inspector about the horse’s condition and allegedly admitted nobody had been at the property for more than a week as they were moving. The RSPCA was first alerted to the horse by a member of the public. A vet exam found the horse was dehydrated, visibly emaciated — with ribs, hips and spine clearly visible — and had muscle wastage due to prolonged starvation. The RSPCA seized the horse, giving it IV fluids and medication before removing it from the property. The couple have been charged under sections 19(1) and 19(3)(d) of the Animal Welfare Act 2002 and are scheduled to appear in Manjimup Magistrates Court on March 2. The maximum penalty for a charge of animal cruelty is a $50,000 fine and five years in jail. The RSPCA relies on the community to report incidents of suspected cruelty and neglect. Report cruelty 24-7 on 1300 CRUELTY (1300 278 358) or at the RSPCA website.