<p>Patch and Stripe are the first two horses that were seized and sent to the Buck Brogoitti Animal Rescue nearly fives years ago.</p>

The 2012 Census of Agriculture states there are 3,459 horses and ponies in Umatilla County. On March 4, the county sheriffs office seized six of them.

Tucked away in the search warrant are photographs sheriffs deputy Jim English took to document alleged abuse of the horses on a Weston ranch.

Although the horses vary in color and size, the features they did share were exposed ribs and sunken backs.

Tawny Lee McLaren, the horses owner, told English that the animals were well fed but were going through an illness, but others disputed her claim.

According to court documents, a neighbor to the ranch told English that there was never a sufficient amount of hay for the horses, while a veterinarian said tests he ran on the horses revealed a calcium deficiency, which usually means the horse is underfed.

After McLaren received a citation in lieu of arrest, she now faces six counts of second degree animal neglect.

While authorities were successful in seizing the horses, Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan said policing animal abuse cases can be a difficult task.

With limited resources, Rowan said he tells his deputies to investigate each case thoroughly sometimes older horses look malnourished even without neglect.

And when situations do merit seizure, there arent always ready locations to place the animals.

In the case of McLarens horses, Rowan said deputies were forced to keep the animals on the Weston ranch until a location became available. They eventually did find one rightful owner, trimming the number of seized horses to five

Eventually, Rowan was able to place the horses at Buck Brogoitti Animal Rescue sanctuary west of Pendleton.

Twenty-one horses currently roam the sanctuarys 800-acre plot, much to the confusion of the surrounding community on both sides of the issue.

Sanctuary director Tamara Brogoitti said some people criticize her for not taking on more horses while others question how shell use the horses for profit.

Brogoitti said her nonprofit ranch may have a vast expanse of acreage, but the organizations small budget doesnt allow for more animals.

While Brogoitti is trying to set up an adoption drive to clear space for the hundreds of horses on the waiting list, she said education is key in preventing abuse.

Sometimes bad things can happen to good people and they dont know what to do, she said.

McLarens case aside, Brogoitti said most neglectful owners simply cant afford to take care of the horse and become ashamed once the horse becomes emaciated.

She added that people who have voluntarily dropped off horses at her sanctuary have never been the target of animal abuse charges.

While local cats and dogs see their share of abuse, Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter office manager Teresa Hull said the Round-Up City is better than other areas of Eastern Oregon.

Hull said the Pendleton Police Department does a good job of policing abusive owners and delivering those animals to the shelter.

And while any given day could see the shelter hit its capacity, Hull said the well-funded Oregon Humane Society in Portland often arranges to take surplus dogs and cats off of their hands, keeping kennel numbers low.

Even with favorable conditions, Hull said receiving abused animals can make the job frustrating.

We usually just see the end result, she said.

The end result of McLarens case will be resolved by a six person jury at the Umatilla County Circuit Court Oct. 29.

Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.