Humane Society offers $500 reward for information in horse neglect/deaths

On Saturday, January 11, 2014, a representative from the Humane Society of Louisiana, the town of Ville Platte’s animal control officer, and deputies from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Department responded to a complaint involving two horses allegedly being severely neglected at 555 Jean Duos Road, just outside the city limits of Ville Platte. The team of officials, unfortunately, arrived too late to save the horses, which apparently died from either starvation or dehydration, or a combination of both. A white Quarter Horse was found on its side and appeared to have died several days ago, since obvious signs of decay were already visible. A black and white mare was still breathing when the investigators arrived on the scene, but expired soon after their arrival.

A horse trailer was observed on the property, but the house had been vacated several months ago, according to Gary Ardoin, a humane investigator and animal rescuer with the Humane Society of Louisiana. Photos taken by Mr. Ardoin are attached.
“I wish we could have gotten the call a few days earlier, so we could have tried to save these two horses. It looks like they endured and suffered a lot before they died. I assume they died of starvation or thirst, since there was neither water nor food for them on the lot where they were housed,” says Mr. Ardoin. Tips pertaining to this case or other animal neglect complaints can also be forwarded to Mr. Ardoin at 337-831-6038 or the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Department.
Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s deputies are looking for the owner of the property and the owner of the horses, if they are not the same individual. The Humane Society of Louisiana is offering a $500.00 reward for information that leads to the arrest and and conviction of those responsible for the death of the horses. To report a tip or provide information on other crimes against animals, please call the Humane Society’s hotline at 1-888-6-Humane.
Established in 1988, the Humane Society of Louisiana is one of the largest animal protection organizations in the state with more than 10,000 supporters. For more information, visit their website at www.humanela.org.