The Sunday Monitorarticle of May 5 concerning removal of maltreated horses from a West Topsham, Vt., farm is missing a crucial piece: The two most emaciated horses were first brought to a self-described “rescue” in Tunbridge, Vt., from which they were, due to public outrage, subsequently removed before being brought to Live and Let Live sanctuary in Chichester.
Troopers unfamiliar with large animal rescue had allowed the alleged abuser to choose to whom she sent the remaining horses. The conditions at the Tunbridge property were as bad as those from which they had been removed.
Due to this lack of oversight, already weak and debilitated animals had to be moved twice in a 24-hour period. Two of the West Topsham animals are still in Tunbridge.
This situation illustrates the enormous gap in laws governing the establishment and regulation of horse rescues, and the lack of education given to law enforcement concerning appropriate re-homing of seized animals.
LORI BERGER
Tunbridge, Vt.
(The writer is an instructor of equine studies at Vermont Technical College. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the college.)