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Malnourished horses removed from Edgewater property, deputies say

Neighbor says she reported the starving horses after being told to stop feeding them

EDGEWATER, Fla. – Two malnourished horses seized from an Edgewater property Wednesday will be nursed back to health after a neighbor says she refused to turn a blind eye to their neglected state.

Ada Macey, 86, told News 6 she gave the horses to her neighbor on Clinton Cemetery Road almost four years ago but starting this summer she noticed they weren’t receiving proper care.

After she tried to feed them and was told to stop by the neighbors she called the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.

“It’s just not right. I wouldn’t do a dog like that,” Macey said. “They were starting to show their ribs and what really got me to call them was when their hip bones were sticking up in the air.”

Photos from the Sheriff’s Office show the malnourished condition of the horses Macey described.

One of two malnourished horses taken from an Edgewater home on Dec. 11, 2019.

Macey said she felt it was her responsibility to make sure the horses are healthy since she’s the one who gave them to her neighbor. She began feeding them apples and carrots until she was told to stop.

Macey said the hungry horses would neigh and call her over.

“They did this morning and I said, ‘Babies, I don’t have nothing for you’ because they had already told me ‘Don’t feed them,’" Macey said.

The Sheriff’s Office Agricultural Crimes Unit removed the horses on Wednesday morning, with no response from the owner. Deputies left a business card and a notice on their fence. News 6 tried contacting the owner but the home is gated.

The Sheriff’s Office said the horses were taken to an undisclosed location and will be cared for and seen by a veterinarian.

Charges are pending, according to investigators.

Macey said she’s happy to see the horses getting the help they need.

“I am so grateful, so grateful. I thank the people so much for coming out," she said. “I hope somebody loving gets them.”


About the Author
Loren Korn headshot

Loren Korn is a native Texan who joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2014. She was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism.

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