Animal cruelty charges have been filed against two Montezuma County women allegedly involved in the mistreatment of six horses in Dolores County in January.
Both Sharon Ward, 59, and her daughter, Lousinda Ward, 30, were charged with six counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals, said 22nd Judicial District Attorney Matt Margeson.
No pleas have been entered in the case, Margeson said. Pretrial conferences have been set in Dolores County Court for Sharon Ward on April 5 and for Lousinda Ward on April 12.
The case was investigated by the Dolores County Sheriff’s Office, which issued the summonses.
According to an incident report, a Groundhog resident notified the Sheriff’s Office about the horses, which were in a remote and snowy mountain pasture at 9,500 feet in elevation.
On Jan. 2, out of concern for the horses’ welfare, the Sheriff’s Office, Dolores County Search and Rescue, county plows and volunteers on snowmobiles launched a multiday effort to remove the horses from the pasture.
The horses were herded to corrals, taken to a safe location and provided care.
Lousinda Ward claimed ownership of the horses, but did not have proof, according to the incident report. On Jan. 13, she voluntarily surrendered ownership to the Sheriff’s Office.
A report by Dolores County Sheriff Sgt. Coty Kelshaw listed observations for the removed horses: Three were in poor condition, two were in fair condition, and one was in good condition. Of the three in poor condition, two had embedded halter marks, and one had an embedded halter wound.
A state veterinarian evaluated the health of the horses and advised treatment, including wound care and farrier care.
When contacted by the Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 1 about the horses at the pasture, Lousinda Ward said she was unaware that the horses remained there, according to the incident report. She said she did not have access to a working truck and horse trailer to retrieve them.
The incident report states that Sharon Ward and a landowner arranged to graze the horses on his Groundhog property and they were taken there around October.
Kelshaw stated that based on an eyewitnesses, Sharon Ward took the horses to the landowner’s pasture. Sharon Ward disagreed, stating that Lousinda Ward had taken them there.
As a result of investigation, Sharon and Lousinda Ward were both issued summonses for animal cruelty based on their alleged involvement with the horses.
Because of winter road conditions and the remote mountain location, the recovery of the horses from the pasture took seven days. The incident generated local and statewide media coverage.
During the recovery of the horses, Dolores County Search and Rescue was active for 104 hours, drove vehicles for 623 miles, and had 118 snowmobile hours. The six horses were herded for 16 miles.
