Couple indicted with animal cruelty after footage revealed them abusing their horse
A Colorado couple was accused and charged with animal cruelty for abusing their horse. They were caught on the camera doing the act.
The camera footage revealing the cruel act went viral on Facebook over the weekend, and the public was quick to condemn the couple as “awful,” “sickening,” and “incredibly heartless.”
The footage showed the horse being forcefully pulled along an icy road while it was tied to the back of a vehicle. The horse, named Trigger, was clearly in a state of distress. It pulls hard to get free and slides across the road.
According to CNN, the horse’s owners, 59-year-old John Saldate and his wife 33-year-old Amber Saldate, have been charged with animal cruelty this week after an enquiry by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
Ms. Saldate, in an interview with CBS Denver, complained about the outcome of the incident to the reporter. She said, “You make one stupid decision, and it can ruin your life,” she told Matt Kroschel.
“I’ve hurt many people. I was wrong. I lost my job. I made Trigger suffer something that he shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. I understand why people are so upset about this. I was being stupid, and I have no idea why we did it.”
The Grand County Sheriff’s Office took to Facebook and confirmed both of them had been charged with one count of animal cruelty, which is considered as a class one misdemeanour in Colorado.
They also told that Trigger is no more under the pair’s care, and he is “now safe.”
“Our email accounts and phone lines are overpowered with inquiries about the case,” Matt Karzen, the district attorney, said in a press release. “Because this incident is now the subject of an active trial, our ethical obligations forbid us from discussing it. However, interested people can attend the public court proceedings if they want.”