Oakland County Animal Control takes custody of 38 horses from Milford
Authorities in Oakland County, Michigan, took custody of 38 horses from two locations in Milford to investigate reports of inappropriate treatment and inadequate care.
A Michigan-based horse rescue and rehabilitator is now caring for the horses, according to Oakland County officials.
The investigation began about four weeks ago, when multiple complaints were filed with Oakland County Animal Control regarding the care and condition of the animals.
"We have had some past complaints," Oakland County Animal Control supervisor Patrick Fanning said. "The most recent one was early in July."
Fanning says those complaints against High Vibes Trail Rides didn't give them enough to act on.
"We're challenged when a complainant wants to be anonymous, so when we go out to inspect, if we don't see the same conditions to corroborate those conditions, it makes it challenging for us to move forward," Fanning said.
Fanning says that in the past four weeks, more people came forward with claims of animal abuse and neglect.
"In this particular instance, we were able to identify witnesses who were willing to be somewhat more than anonymous and be involved in the process," Fanning said.
Six Oakland County Animal Control officers served search warrants on Wednesday at High Vibes Trail Rides on Meadowood Lane in Milford, along with a home on West Commerce Road in Milford, where the horses under investigation could be found.
Fanning says the county didn't take all the horses on the property, only those directly related to High Vibes.
"They board horses not only for this company, but also other private horses that were boarded there, and we made a field determination that there were not any issues that we needed to seize them as evidence," he said.
According to the company's website, High Vibes offers trail rides and photoshoots for customers.
In a social media post on Thursday, owners at High Vibes say a veterinarian performed health and wellness checks on the horses on July 30.
"Virtually every horse received an excellent body condition score. We also tested for strangles in response to the rumors that our horses were sick. All tests came back negative," the company said.
"Animal Control had also been out just two weeks earlier, on July 16th, and reported that all the horses were in good condition. They confirmed that hay and water were available in every field as well as at the tie posts for all the horses."
Oakland County Animal Control said it cannot comment on the condition of the animals until an investigation is complete. After the investigation wraps up, the agency will present its findings to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority Police, Oakland County Sheriff's Office and Milford Police assisted with the seizures.
The search warrants were authorized by the 52-1 District Court in Novi.
