VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Seville man was arrested Wednesday on animal cruelty charges after four horses were found ‘extremely emaciated and lethargic,’ the Volusia County Sheriff’s Department said.
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Deputies said that on July 8, they found four horses in poor conditions in a Seville residence.
According to a news release, two mares, a tan Palomino and a brown and white paint, were lethargic, with their bones visibly pointing at their skin.
The two other horses were in a separate pasture, malnourished and underweight.
Officials said the horses were neglected and lacked medical care, including eye, dental, and hoof care.
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The homeowner told deputies he faced financial struggles and could not care for the animals.
But, according to the report, the horse’s condition has been deteriorating for several months– even years.
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Deputies seized the horses to provide them with veterinary care at a facility in New Smyrna Beach.
Both mares were in pain with infections, dehydration, and severely overgrown hooves, the veterinary report states.
On July 22, the vet said that one of the mares’ conditions got worse, with infections in her right front hoof and terminal injuries that resulted in euthanization.
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The other mare is in critical condition, but vets said her situation is improving.
The horses’ owner, Wayne Prevatt, was arrested Wednesday night.
Officials said Prevatt was charged with two counts of felony cruelty to animals, two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, and four counts of unlawful confinement/abandoning animals.
Prevatt bonded out of jail, deputies said.
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