Horse Abuse

This is where 23 year old Daniel Brooks kept his horses for months. The feedbags are empty, there's no water for the horses to drink, and this is exactly what deputies say they saw when they got a complaint. This is what those two horses look like now. Officials say when they found the horses they were living in unlivable conditions.

Hack Tull is the director of the Ouachita Parish Animal Shelter he said, "On the deputies arrival that the animals were being neglect they were in a stall full of fecal matter and mud and he called our office."

Officials say the conditions were so bad they called the shelter to care for the animals. And Tull says for this particular horse, the signs of abuse are the fecal matter that's still on the body also the protruding hip bones on the back. But he says it doesn't have to get to this stage, if you can't take care of your horse there is a way out.

Tull said, "If you don't want it tell them to call us, we'll gladly come get it, bring it up here and try and foster it out."

But, Tull says it's not uncommon for him to see horses being neglected. In fact, he says it's a weekly occurrence.

Tull said, "It's very prevalent here in the parish and the procedure on the way it works is the sheriffs office is notified first."

Lets face it, keeping a horse can be expensive, especially in this economy. But, it's cheaper in the end to give it up rather then neglect it.

Tull said, "It's a 500 dollar fine plus a stint in jail in the minimum that can be done and it can go on up from there, it's a severe charge."