Judge Orders Horses Confiscated from Chileno Valley Ranch Returned to Owners

A Marin County judge has ordered four horses seized from a Chileno Valley breeding farm following allegations of neglect returned to their owners, the Marin Independent Journal is reporting.

Judge Roy Chernus issued the tentative ruling Tuesday in the case of Gray Fox Farms, located in West Petaluma. The owners, Jill and Alex Burnell, sued after the horses were removed from the farm following a Marin Humane Society investigation that found the animals were underfed and sickly, according to the IJ.

Judge Chernus said some horses may have required medical attention, but their condition did not constitute a true emergency and that the seizure of the animals was illegal. He said the Marin Humane Society did not give the owners enough time to get medical attention for the horses and used a biased adjudicator instead of a randomly selected one.

The Burnells are also facing criminal charges for animal cruelty and neglect, but have pleaded not guilty.

Carrie Harrington, spokeswoman for the Marin Humane Society, said the society's animal services division officers found "serious neglect, injuries, unsafe and inhumane living conditions for horses living on the property" during a visit on Dec. 27.

To read more, click here.