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Animal Services officers assisted by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office went onto the property in the 6300 block of Zangle Road Northeast, near Boston Harbor just before 11 a.m. and removed the animals. The Great Danes, one male and one female, are underweight and looked emaciated, Animal Services officer Erika Johnson said.
“The dogs are critically thin,” she said.
The Great Danes and a cattle dog were taken to a veterinarian.
A veterinarian gave the four seized horses a checkup Tuesday, concluding the three mares and emaciated stallion were in poor enough health for authorities to act.
The horses were loaded in trailers, taken by Hooved Animal Rescue of Thurston County and placed in foster homes.
The stallion was “on death’s door,” Hooved Animal Rescue vice president Teresa King said Wednesday.
When horses get too skinny, their bodies begin using muscle and organ tissue for energy, which can be deadly, King said. The feet of all four horses were in poor shape, she added.
The pig has a lame back leg; it was kicked by a horse and hadn’t received medical attention, authorities said. This is not the first time Animal Services has come to the residence on calls concerning animals, Johnson said. The resident is not being named because she has yet to be charged.
A woman who claimed the animals were hers said the seizure was upsetting and that she will try to get her animals back.
Animal Services investigators will gather information from veterinary check-ups and will likely have a report to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office by early next week. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cassandra Jones was on site and said she didn’t want to speculate on possible charges until she receives the report.
