On Friday, Sept. 19, a resident in Black Forest discovered the remains of 14 dead horses and 10 live horses that appeared emaciated. Sgt. Gregory White, public information officer for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, said that after receiving the information, a mounted unit and a detective opened an investigation, although they didnít arrive on the scene until Monday.White said it was a bad situation but they needed to ìcollect evidenceî during the daylight hours. ìWe have to document our evidence first,î he said, adding that itís more efficient to do so in the daylight hours. ìUltimately, this comes down to a court case,î White said. ìThe last thing we want to see is a mistake on our part causing the case to be lost and the horses to go back to poor conditions. If we screw up and she petitions to get the horses back, she gets them back.îRandy Parker, DVM, the veterinarian who accompanied the sheriff’s department said they had to determine if the horses were in imminent danger of dying. Parker said the horses, though visually disturbing, were not in imminent danger, and the sheriff’s office wanted to be able to conduct a thorough investigation to find out what happened to the 14 deceased horses. ìWe decided it was best to get a search warrant so we could search the property thoroughly,î he said.ìIt wasn’t just that we went in and took horses and the evidence was disturbed. It wasn’t a bunch of deputies and a vet who descended on the place; we had a plan when we got there.îWhite said that if the place had been cleaned up, with no more carcasses and better conditions for the horses still alive, then ìwe wouldn’t be having this conversation.î However, the carcasses were still there with no improvement in conditions. ìBased on the totality of everything, this doesn’t look like it’s going to get fixed, so we’re going to seize the horses,î White said.He said that seizing horses is not a simple process. ìWe are impounding the horses, just like impounding a car,î he said.ìThey are property and we’re taking someone’s stuff. In order to do that properly there’s a stringent list of requirements we have to follow.îThe sheriff’s office responds to three to five equine neglect or abuse cases each week, and the majority are resolved with education for the owners like helping them determine a better amount of food for the animals, White said. ìRarely does it rise to the level of ‘we’re taking your horses,’î he said.Parker said all the animals are safe now and in good care. In addition to the remaining living horses, three llamas were also removed from the owner. ìIt was the right decision to make,î Parker said. ìWe were concerned that wouldn’t happen if we removed the horses first. We had to think about the live horses and justice for the deceased horses. But it is a very difficult situation all around.îThe owner, Sherri Brunzell, and her husband claimed the deceased horses had died from colic, which is pain caused by a variety of gastrointestinal problems. ìThat ñ I don’t know what the term would be to describe that. Unusual, I guess, to have that many horses colic,î Parker said.Brunzell was charged with animal cruelty, which is a class 1 misdemeanor, the highest level, White said. She could receive six to18 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine. ìThat can be probation, just the fine, it can be a huge range of things,î White said. ìI can’t tell you what it will be. That’s the court process.îSeveral pages of support for the horses have popped up on Facebook. International groups have offered to assist.As of Sept. 24, White said the sheriff’s office has completed their role in the situation. ìAt this point, it’s up to them (Brunzells) to remove (the carcasses),î he said. White said if they weren’t removed, they could be violating the health code. He said that the remains on the property consist of bones.The situation caught the attention of Eli Bremer, former chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party. He knew the owners of the horses. ìThey were suspended from the office (El Paso County Republican headquarters) for highly suspicious and potentially dangerous and threatening behavior,î Bremer said.Brunzell’s first court hearing is scheduled Dec. 31.
