CITRA, Fla. (CBS12) — A 17-year-old horse named Bully was so emaciated that he collapsed in his stall and had to be euthanized, triggering the arrest of a 22-year-old woman.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) said Isabella Rose Medina was arrested for aggravated animal cruelty.
On July 23, MCSO Civilian Agricultural Investigator McClure responded to a tip about an underweight horse at Medina’s residence on NW 27th Avenue. According to the sheriff’s office, Bully was found in critical condition, with exposed ribs, hip bones, and tailhead. Medina admitted she had not provided veterinary care and believed the horse only needed hay, which she did not have.
A search and seizure warrant issued the next day allowed deputies to take possession of Bully. The sheriff’s office said the horse was transported to the Agriculture Investigations farm, but by morning was too weak to stand. A vet from Peterson Smith Equine Hospital diagnosed him with rain rot and gave him a body condition score of one — the lowest possible rating for a living horse…