In May 2012 an informant contacted the Miller County, Ark., Sheriff’s Department to report suspected equine cruelty. During a subsequent investigation sheriff’s deputies discovered the skeletal remains of a horse. Apparently the animal had died after being tied to a tree and deprived of food or water for weeks. Following a full investigation authorities charged the horse’s owner with one count of felony animal cruelty and placed his remaining horse with a relative under monitored care. Miller County Sheriff’s Dept. Chief Deputy Duke Schofield says the incident is just one of many equine-related cruelty cases his department investigates routinely.

"People are very aware of animal welfare issues, and you’d be surprised how many horse-related calls we get every month," he says. "We follow up on them all."

Although the specific language of equine-related animal cruelty statutes varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the word "neglect" generally refers to specific circumstances ranging from withholding food and water deliberately to failing to provide reasonable shelter and necessary veterinary, farrier, and other basic care. According to statutes in some locales, such neglect can also constitute animal cruelty. Physically injuring or killing a horse by beating, shooting, etc., is also considered cruelty under most animal welfare laws.

Local police or, as in Miller County, county sheriff’s department personnel carry out animal cruelty investigations. In some jurisdictions law enforcement agencies form contracts with humane organizations, such as reputable horse rescues or other animal welfare organizations, to assist with equine cruelty investigations. Schofield says officials investigate these cases in much the same way that authorities probe other criminal activity. That means investigators visit locations where the alleged cruelty or neglect has taken place, observe the animal and his environment, interview the animal’s owner, and interview witnesses separately, including (if possible) the informant who originally brought the suspected incident to light. If circumstances fall under provisions contained in local laws, law enforcement authorities can–with sufficient evidence–arrest and charge the allegedly errant owner with animal cruelty. Under appropriate circumstances law enforcement personnel can also assume custody of the animals and remove them from the owner’s property and care. The case then moves on to local or county prosecutors for trial. If convicted, the animal’s owner faces penalties dictated by the jurisdiction’s specific animal cruelty laws