2 horses found starving on local ranch

DAVIE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A pair of horses found starving on a South Florida ranch are getting some much-needed care after being rescued.

On one of the horses, you can clearly see the hip bones sticking out. "The spine is showing," said Victor Cutino said Peaceful Ridge Rescue, "the tail bone is showing. It shouldn't be showing, and her ribs. You can see her ribs."

Her stomach is also sunken in. "See right here," said Cutino, "this is all caved in. That's lack of food."

The horses, Dreamer and Haven, both 4 years old, are now in stables at Peaceful Ridge Rescue in Davie. But, two days ago, they were near death on a ranch after their owner, for some unknown reason, stopped feeding them. The horses, both thoroughbreds, had been staying at Shady Stables in Davie.

For the past month, Michele Smith fed the starving horses, instead. "When you see something starving to death you want to give it food or water."

The man who owned the horses does not live at the stables and did not return phone calls. Someone at the ranch refused to comment on the horses.

Cutino noted that the ranch had a sign that read "Abuse will not be tolerated." He said, at some point, management should have stepped in. "They let them sit there, not help them. They should have done something about them," said Cutino.

Eventually Cutino and the Good Samaritan convinced the owner to surrender them. They are still weak and need dental care and foot care, but Cutino hopes to have them nursed back to health soon.

It remains up to police whether to charge the owner or not.

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