Purported Horse Rescuer
A self-proclaimed horse rescuer is facing seven felony counts of animal cruelty in Florida.
Lake County Deputies say a tip led to an investigation resulting in the arrest of Angel King, 46, of Eustis. King claims to do private horse rescue under the name Kings Cove Horse Rescue.
Court documents state King failed to provide the horses the necessary food, nutrition, and care leading to their starvation. The horses’ hooves were allegedly in bad condition due to a lack of long-term hoof care.
A veterinarian notes all of the horses scored a 2 or less on the Henneke Body Condition Score (BCS) leading to their seizure. His exam concluded the horses’ emaciated conditions were not due to age or illness.
The BCS is a numbering system of 1 to 9. It describes how much fat and muscle a horse is carrying. A score of 1 describes an emaciated horse with no body fat while a 9 describes an obese horse. Veterinarians recommend a BCS of 4 to 6 for most equines.
Since June 2016, there have been three complaints of animal cruelty regarding King.
King bonded out of jail. She is scheduled for arraignment on August 14.
The county is seeking ownership rights to the horses in court at a civil hearing on August 10.
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