The Fresno County Sheriff's Office took the horses from a property near Reedley on Wednesday. Now the SPCA and other Valley animal rescue groups are taking care of them. Staff members say it is the worst case of starvation they have ever encountered.
The road to recovery for these horses started with a good feeding. So much has changed from when Valley rescue groups first met them. Gina Caglia with Silverwings Horse Rescue explains, "The conditions were deplorable. It was the worst thing I have ever encountered."
CCSPCA spokesperson Beth Caffrey said, "As far as horrifying this is probably the worst case that we've seen.
On Wednesday the Fresno County Sheriff's Office called in the SPCA after finding 15 starving horses in the Reedley area. Two of the horses were in really bad shape.
"They couldn't move, couldn't walk weren't stable and had to be euthanized there on the spot," said Caffrey. The others still have a long way to go. "Their feet are in horrible condition which is also quite painful."
The surviving horses still have scars and dental problems from their days of starvation. Six are now being cared for by the SPCA.
Gina Caglia with the non-profit group Silverwings is watching over the other seven. She's overwhelmed because she was there on the day they were rescued. "They were all very depressed, they all had their heads down they kind of get a blank look to them."
Caglia says she's taken aback by their gentle nature despite everything they've been through. "Every one of us came up and let us put a halter on them and let us put them and then walked into that trailer."
Staff members at the SPCA and the non-profit Silverwings say they need supplies such as hay and grain to help care for the animals.
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To find out more on how to help, go to the Silverwings Horse Rescue website.
