MOSCOW, Idaho. — Orphan Acres Horse Rescue (OAHR) is struggling to stay in business after defending itself from multiple costly complaints from Latah County citizens.
Brent M.F. Glover, owner of OAHR and primary caretaker of the rescue’s 64 horses says unwarranted formal complaints filed through Idaho’s Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Industries are making the rescue difficult to continue.
There have been more than 20 formal complaints filed against the rescue since 2004. An OAHR volunteer filed a complaint alleging that there was a starving horse on the property. “The horse was starving because I had just taken her in, I’d had her for three days, you can’t starve a horse in three days,” said Glover.
To defend himself, Glover was required to spend close to 40,000 dollars on veterinary exams and health certificates for each horse, as well as attorney fees. The accusations were dropped when his horses passed veterinary exams, but Glover was not reimbursed for any of the money he spent defending himself.
Glover admittedly cannot afford to vaccinate all of his horses; his horses are not vaccinated with the West-Nile Virus vaccine that can prevent a deadly mosquito carrying
disease. “I have just enough money for routine worming, but anything leftover I have to use sparingly,” said Glover.
Hay cost Glover over 80,000 this year; making ends meet has been difficult even without his legal expenses. A supporter of OAHR and Idaho resident, Debbie Richards said in an email to the Division of Animal Industries, “I believe it better serves the best interests of the animals, and the community, to contribute rather than condemn an individual who has done so much for so long.”
Idaho’s State Veterinarian, Scott Barnes works with Livestock Investigator, Amity Larsen to investigate the formal complaints against OAHR. Barnes has ordered mandatory veterinary exams to multiple horses on Glover’s property after observing wounded animals and unsanitary living conditions. Glover says Larsen has been trying to put him out of business for years. “I make her look bad,” Glover said, “the court has to call me in to save the livestock she didn’t.”
On the contrary, however, Larsen and Barnes’ investigative remarks often suggested after reviewing the formal complaints against Glover, that most did not warrant any further investigation. Neither Barnes nor Larsen could be reached for an interview.
The complaints ranged from accusations of manure-filled stall bedding, moldy hay, to starvation and neglect.
Glover depends on donations to care for his horses, but says not all donations come from goodwill. They drop off anything they can’t use anymore, Glover said, even if it is of no use to me, just because they don’t want to pay to take it to the dump. Glover then must use his own money to dispose of the unusable donations.
Glover’s rescue horses come from humane societies, state agencies, court orders, and individuals who can no longer provide proper care for their horses. Glover says he has placed over 1,600 horses in new homes through his rescue.
Brent M.F. Glover, owner of OAHR and primary caretaker of the rescue’s 64 horses says unwarranted formal complaints filed through Idaho’s Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Industries are making the rescue difficult to continue.
There have been more than 20 formal complaints filed against the rescue since 2004. An OAHR volunteer filed a complaint alleging that there was a starving horse on the property. “The horse was starving because I had just taken her in, I’d had her for three days, you can’t starve a horse in three days,” said Glover.
To defend himself, Glover was required to spend close to 40,000 dollars on veterinary exams and health certificates for each horse, as well as attorney fees. The accusations were dropped when his horses passed veterinary exams, but Glover was not reimbursed for any of the money he spent defending himself.
Glover admittedly cannot afford to vaccinate all of his horses; his horses are not vaccinated with the West-Nile Virus vaccine that can prevent a deadly mosquito carrying
disease. “I have just enough money for routine worming, but anything leftover I have to use sparingly,” said Glover.
Hay cost Glover over 80,000 this year; making ends meet has been difficult even without his legal expenses. A supporter of OAHR and Idaho resident, Debbie Richards said in an email to the Division of Animal Industries, “I believe it better serves the best interests of the animals, and the community, to contribute rather than condemn an individual who has done so much for so long.”
Idaho’s State Veterinarian, Scott Barnes works with Livestock Investigator, Amity Larsen to investigate the formal complaints against OAHR. Barnes has ordered mandatory veterinary exams to multiple horses on Glover’s property after observing wounded animals and unsanitary living conditions. Glover says Larsen has been trying to put him out of business for years. “I make her look bad,” Glover said, “the court has to call me in to save the livestock she didn’t.”
On the contrary, however, Larsen and Barnes’ investigative remarks often suggested after reviewing the formal complaints against Glover, that most did not warrant any further investigation. Neither Barnes nor Larsen could be reached for an interview.
The complaints ranged from accusations of manure-filled stall bedding, moldy hay, to starvation and neglect.
Glover depends on donations to care for his horses, but says not all donations come from goodwill. They drop off anything they can’t use anymore, Glover said, even if it is of no use to me, just because they don’t want to pay to take it to the dump. Glover then must use his own money to dispose of the unusable donations.
Glover’s rescue horses come from humane societies, state agencies, court orders, and individuals who can no longer provide proper care for their horses. Glover says he has placed over 1,600 horses in new homes through his rescue.
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