A horse at the centre of some controversy in Windsor has been taken away from its owner and caretaker.
As AM800 news told you earlier this week, the humane society has received complaints from people who believe a horse at County Road 42 and the 9th Concession is under fed.
Windsor-Essex County Humane Society Executive Director Melanie Coulter says the investigation is still active and ongoing.
"We can confirm that Humane Society Cruelty Officers were on scene today at a property on County Road 42 in Windsor," says Coulter. "One of several orders issued to the residents on August 5th regarding their horses had a compliance deadline of noon today and the order was not complied with so the animal was removed for non compliance."
This is the horse in question. The horse is being taken away to be checked by a vet. #cklw pic.twitter.com/8rmoEY6Ms8
— Teresinha Medeiros (@tmedeiros800) August 10, 2017
The caretaker of the family horse says the horse, named Lovely, is 29 years old and is well fed.
Caretaker Shawn Berthiaume says a humane society approved veterinarian was scheduled to arrive on the property to check out the horse, but the vet was delayed.
He says at that point the humane society, the OSPCA-the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Windsor police arrived to take the horse away.
""They decided they didn't want to wait and our extension was over," he says. "Unfortunately I don't understand what we had to have all this for and the horse is 29 years old and she is not unhealthy."
After much effort, the older horse named Lovely was put into a trailer and taken away to be checked out.
"Unfortunately, we had to allow this out of good faith, take the horse to your vet, have her examined. They said they would return her after the vet examined her and we will see what they say then," she says. "Taking her to a vet to tell her that she is 29 years old, it doesn't make any sense, it is wasting people's money and time and it is also making our son very upset."
An official with the OSPCA told Berthiaume that they will bring the horse back once it is checked out, but Berthiaume says he has no idea when that will be.
Coulter told AM800 News the horse will only be returned if conditions are met, and expenses for the trasportation and care of the animal are recieved within five days.