Editorial: Shame on horse abusers

Ashleigh Kearns and Stella.

Who are these people who stole a horse and rode it near to death?

What on Earth was going through their minds?

Stella was an SPCA case, so she has already been neglected and abused.

Her new owner, 15-year-old Ashleigh Kearns, had spent months winning her trust.

In the three days she was missing, those responsible for her theft have ruined all the kindness and care Stella had received.

They rode her until bone was starting to push through her hoof. She was dehydrated and unable to walk, with a swollen mouth and ulcers, tight muscles and tendon swelling in her legs.

Disgusting. I hope whoever you are, you pay the penalty for this terrible deed.

A post on Facebook yesterday says that Stella is on the mend and it sounds like she couldn't be in better hands. The post says: "Although she is totally over being confined to a suburban backyard it was the only way we could give her 24-hour care, and it's working. Stella is such a tough girl and all the Bute (painkillers), creams and herbs are definitely helping."

With holidays just around the corner, now's the time to start thinking about what you are going to do with your animals while you are away. Most animal owners wouldn't dream of leaving their pets home alone without at least someone visiting daily to feed them and make sure they have water. However, we all know that some people just don't think hard enough about it.

So if you notice pets in your neighbourhood behaving differently (dogs barking when they don't usually), call animal control. It's not being a nark. The animal might be tangled in its rope, so you could be saving its life.