An Oregon man is facing an illegal dumping charge after his horse’s carcass was found in a highly traveled wooded area in Yamhill County.

In late April the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department Woods Patrol discovered the carcass of a horse that had been shot and killed near Bald Mountain in an area known as Whip-up Flats. The horse seemed to have been uninjured and in good condition when it was killed by a single gunshot, officials said.

Yamhill County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sergeant Chris Ray said Mark D. Ellis was identified as the horse’s owner during an investigation.

“Mr. Ellis told deputies that the horse was in distress trying to give birth to a breech foal,” Ray said. “He was forced to put the animal down