Owner facing animal neglect charges after horse starves to death, dog tied up

A dog was also found tied up without food or water

HOUSTON – Authorities are looking for the owner responsible for starving a horse to death and starving a dog in north Houston.

The Houston Humane Society says animal cruelty officers were recently called to a home in the 6200 block of Maxroy. Upon arrival, the officers found a horse that had starved to death and a dog that was tied up with no food or water in sight.

"Nearby residents did say they threw some food to him because they felt sorry for him but, unfortunately, it wasn't enough and he was starting to lose a bit of weight," said Monica Schmidt of the Houston Humane Society.

Officials say the dog was taken back to the humane society to be looked at by veterinarians. He doesn't have a name, just a number, 35.

A horse that animal cruelty officers say had clearly been starved to death was also found on the property. The home was abandoned and the property owner was nowhere to be found.

"They had renters there before. It's been years, a couple of years since they've been gone," said neighbor Harold DeMart.

The humane society is asking for help as authorities search for the animals' owner.

"It's horrible that anyone would do this to any animal. If he'd been left out there, he would have ended up just like the horse," Schmidt said.

Anyone with information about the identity of the person(s) responsible should contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the filing of charges or an arrest in this case.

Authorities say the owner will face a minimum of two counts of 2 Class A misdemeanors for neglecting the animals.


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