Horses re-homed after cruelty

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A mare and filly are recovering well despite their owner pleading guilty to two animal cruelty charges in Penrith Court last week.

In October last year, an RSPCA inspector located the mare in an extremely poor condition with a very swollen stomach in a paddock in Mulgoa.

The horse was seized and transported for urgent medical care.

An abdominal ultrasound confirmed the mare was pregnant and she was found to have a very heavy internal parasite burden and a bacterial skin infection. These conditions were treated and she was placed on a feeding program.

The mare delivered a healthy filly foal two weeks later.

The RSPCA spoke to the owner of the horse, Susan Coogan, who confirmed she had been notified about the horse’s condition on a previous occasion but had failed to act.

Ms Coogan faced Penrith Court on May 3 and pleaded guilty to two charges, namely failure to provide proper and sufficient food and failure to provide veterinary treatment to her thoroughbred crossbreed mare.

Both the mare and the filly have since been re-homed and are in a much better state.

Ms Coogan was fined $1,000 for the food charge and $250 for failing to provide adequate worming treatment.

The local resident was ordered by the court to pay $162 in court costs and $489.40 in veterinary costs.


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