HARTSEL – The Park County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that the man who owned dozens of malnourished horses near Hartsel has been charged with animal cruelty.
Authorities said Mark Walker faces multiple charges of animal cruelty after deputies, the Colorado Humane Society SPCA and the Dumb Friends League Harmony Equine Center seized a total of 57 horses from several properties belonging to Walker on Feb. 21.
Originally, 48 horses were seized, but nine more horses were removed last week. The Dumb Friends League said some of those horses included several pregnant mares.
The Colorado Humane Society SPCA said most of the horses have already shown considerable improvement and have a positive prognosis. Staff at the Harmony Society said they are hopeful the mares will give birth to healthy foals.
No horses have died since they were removed from the property. However, several dead horses were removed at one of the properties.
