Payette Police Chief: Owner Had Not Checked on Horses for At Least a Week

 

Payette (670 KBOI News) – Payette Police Chief Mark Clark says they want to talk with the owner of four horses that died of dehydration on a piece of land off Hurd Lane.  A fifth horse is in critical condition.

A call came into the Payette County Sheriff’s Office Sunday night, saying horses were lying a pasture, and their water troughs were empty.

Clark says a deputy investigated and found the horses dead.

“The owner of the horses has been spoken to, at the scene, when they originally responded to the scene, and got an initial statement from the owner” said Clark.  “The owner is identified as Shannon Pierce, of New Plymouth.”

Clark says Pierce told deputies he had a hose set up to keep the troughs filled, but irrigation employees may have moved it. But he says it looks at this point like Pierce hadn’t been out to the property for at least a week.

Clark says the property is owned by a company called Teton Machine, which has recently changed ownership. He says it doesn’t look like the company is culpable.