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TOOELE — Three cattle and seven horses were found neglected over the weekend by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food.
The animals, discovered in Tooele County, were in unkept conditions and weren't getting proper nutrition or water, said Bailee Woolstenhulme, the department's public information officer. They were informed of the situation by the Tooele County Sheriff's Office, she added.
A state veterinarian determined the animals were "in very poor condition," Woolstenhulme said.
She also confirmed on Thursday that one of the horses had died. The remaining animals are now being cared for by Tooele County Sheriff's Office, and each animal's recovery will vary, she said.
Woolstenhulme said the investigation is ongoing and currently no charges have been filed against the animals' owners.
Numerous KSL.com readers have indicated that the animals are still on the property where they were found. Woolstenhulme said because the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food doesn't have law enforcement authority, all it can do is make an assessment and tell the county what should be done.
"Beyond that, the county is responsible," she said.
Correction: A previous version incorrectly stated that the animals had been seized by the state. They are instead in the care of Tooele County.
