Update on Lilly’s Case (Clay County)

Update on Lilly’s Case

(Clay County)

Thank you to the many thousands of callers from Clay county, West Virginia and across the USA who care about this case. Thanks to the attorneys, state officials, other sheriffs, animal control officers and elected officials who have reached out and asked Clay county to do the right thing by this situation and to charge.

We have had a handful of calls to defend to county’s actions, six. . .so I think it is clear most of the county and state is upset (not pleased) with what took place there.

The colt is still in Clay County. We have no reason to believe he will be turned over to the rescue for reasons beyond our understanding. We have been told by a local person who has visited him that he is getting milk replacer.

There is a confirmation in written communication that if a vet will state this mare’s condition didn’t happen in a matter of weeks, but over months, that charges will be brought. Of course, that is attainable. (While according to the law, it doesn’t matter if it did take place recently, what matters is the pair were in neglected condition, denied vet care until the time they were removed, and they were denied other routine care by a farrier and equine dentist, as well as sufficient food and water). We hope that written word is honored.

We hope to be able to soon report the case will be charged.

The mare cannot recover to lead even a marginal quality of life, and at this point, though we believe the foal coming to rescue to be rehabilitated, gelded, trained to be a well behaved fellow and adopted in a screened home on a HOP contract is in his best interest over the long term, and certainly, the foal should have left the scene to come to the rescue that day with his mother, she can not care for him for a few more months to get him weaned. No one knew that the day of the seizure. No decision to not let him come to HOP should have been made by the sheriff that day. But we could not leave her behind being in critical condition. She gave all she had from her bones and body to him to keep him alive, and her long term neglect has cost her too much.

We have an equine message therapist coming Sunday to pamper her in a way she has never known before, though.

While we know some would exploit her, that has never been how we operate, which any of our followers of even a small bit of time know very well.

We are THANKFUL we got her out, that she fell under our care and that her life will not even include being exposed to another stallion, hobbling on destroyed front and back legs or going without another meal.