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Rescue organization discusses animal cruelty after young horse dies

Posted at 4:48 PM, Jan 19, 2014
and last updated 2014-01-19 18:48:21-05

CEDAR CITY, Utah -- A young horse that was rescued out of Enoch earlier this month after being found frozen to the ground has died.

The Dust Devil Ranch Sanctuary for Horses in Cedar City said Elsa the horse died Saturday afternoon surrounded by people who watched over and cared for her.

Elsa's mother was also rescued by the sanctuary, where she continues to receive care. A similar organization exists here in northern Utah for abused or neglected horses.

Madaresgold Horse Rescue is a local non-profit with the sole purpose of finding neglected animals like Elsa before it’s too late.

Founders of the non-profit, Kendra and James Munden, said it's all too common for people to get excited and buy a horse, only to realize it's more than they can handle. They see more neglected horses in the winter months because caring for and feeding horses is much more expensive during the colder months.

However, the Mundens said that's no excuse, and what happened to Elsa in Cedar City could and should have been prevented.

“Starving to death to me is one of the most horrible things you could ever endure, and people need to, if they can’t feed them or don’t want to, they need to try and place them somewhere before they get to that point that they’re starving,” Kendra Munden said.

An Enoch City man faces animal cruelty charges in connection with the incident.

If you know of a horse being neglected or abused or you’re having trouble caring for your equine, Madares Gold Horse Rescue can help.