A group of men have been charged in connection to two maltreated horses found residing in rented stalls at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds in Ohio.

Tim Fowler, president of the Cuyahoga County Agricultural Society, said the agricultural society manages the buildings at the fairgrounds and leases stalls to owners who reside in urban areas in or near Berea. Between 80 and 100 horses reside there, and owners either care for the animals themselves or arrange for the fairgrounds’ farm manager to provide care. Either way, all stall leases include stipulations that owners will provide appropriate care for their animals, he said.

In late January, a pair of horses were removed from their rented stalls in a stable on the fairgrounds. Fowler said the allegedly maltreated horses were initially relocated to another building at the fairgrounds before the Cleveland Animal Protection League (APL) transported them to an undisclosed location while it investigated cruelty allegations connected to the horses.

Also in late January the horses’ owner, Double D Stables, was evicted from the fairgrounds, Fowler said