PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (WFLA) — A woman, who was found to own several undernourished animals, including sick horses that she would stroke and clean the mucus from their eyes, was taken into custody on felony charges of animal cruelty, according to an arrest affidavit.
On March 1, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office responded to a complaint filed by Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control. The complaint concerned sick and “emaciated” horses found at a particular residence. A veterinarian had examined the premises on Feb. 23 concerning a horse that was so ill it was unable to rise from its stall.
The veterinarian informed deputies that the horse lay in its stall covered with feces and urine, and had minor injuries on its head, likely due to hitting the walls during feeble attempts to stand. The horse displayed symptoms of dehydration and was in a hemodynamic state, showing signs of being in “some degree of shock.”
The doctor met with the animal’s owner, 74-year-old Pamela Beres, and recommended euthanasia, as the horse’s labored and shallow breathing and distended abdomen led him to believe it would not make it through the night.
“This horse is living, and it will live because I say it will,” Beres yelled to the doctor.
After propping the horse upright with hay bales, Beres told the doctor she had to do something. That’s when she began caressing the horse’s head, telling it “I know you like this, this is some kind of sex [inaudible],” the affidavit said.
The doctor told deputies Beres opened the horse’s eyes, licked them with her tongue, licked away the mucus and spit it out in the stall, before continuing.
When a deputy arrived on March 1 to the home, she saw four horses that appeared emaciated, with their ribs, hip bones and spine sticking out, and another horse “clearly in poor condition” with its hip bones protruding from its body, the affidavit said. A total of six horses and one pony were found on the property.
The horse that the doctor had responded to in February had died.
None of the horses had access to water and had minimal food. The animals, including the pony, were all underweight in various degrees and “severely malnourished,” as some horses were on the brink of starvation.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control seized the animals and said that they are receiving basic care of proper nutrition, dental work and deworming. It was also reported that parasitism may have contributed to their lower weights.
Beres was arrested on Tuesday and charged with seven counts of felony animal cruelty and seven counts of confinement without food, water or exercise, the affidavit said.
WFLA.com has reached out to the animal care center for additional information.
