08/21/2025
Update: sadly, shortly after sharing this letter today we learned that RC has been returned to his owner.
Our letter to the Clinton County Prosecutor regarding the case involving the pony, RC, in Horses Haven’s care:
“Dear Prosecutor Spagnuolo,
I am writing on behalf of the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition, which is commemorating its 15th year of helping our state’s horses and horse owners in need. We provide hay, feed, farrier and veterinary assistance and humane euthanasia guidance, and we work with law enforcement agencies across the state to save as many horses as possible from abuse, abandonment and neglect.
I write to you today regarding the recent resolution to the case involving two severely neglected equines in Clinton County earlier this year, one who is now deceased and the other who has been ordered returned to the owners who allowed his health to decline to such an egregious degree. I urge your office to reconsider this agreement in light of our state’s strong animal protection laws and the extreme animal suffering that resulted.
Michigan law is clear that animals must be protected from neglect and cruelty. Under MCL 750.50(2)(a), an individual must not fail to provide an animal with “adequate care,” which means “the provision of sufficient food, water, shelter, sanitary conditions, exercise, and veterinary medical attention in order to maintain an animal in a state of good health.” This law applies equally to all individuals, regardless of their circumstances.
If Michigan horse owners are not able to provide those essentials in order to comply with state law, numerous resources are available to help them do so. Those include rescue organizations like Horses’ Haven and their expert guidance and assistance with rehoming and adoption, as well as the hay bank and veterinary care accessible through the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition. But owners must ask for that help before the situation becomes dire—as, according to reports, occurred when the horse in Clinton County had to be humanely euthanized after enduring unimaginable suffering while lying frozen on the ice, and the pony deteriorated to an appalling—indeed, horrifying—body condition score of 1.
Animal cruelty is not a victimless crime. Horses, like all animals, are sentient beings capable of suffering, and Michigan’s legislature has recognized this by providing strong statutory protections. Offering leniency in cases of obvious neglect, and which cause inconceivable agony and death, undermines both the deterrent effect of these laws and the Michigan public’s trust in our justice system to protect the animals we care about so much.
I respectfully ask that your office reconsider the resolution in this case, and under no circumstances allow this fragile pony to leave the loving, professional and comprehensive care of Horses' Haven. Further, I urge you to pursue charges that reflect the seriousness of the alleged crime and send a strong message that cruelty and neglect of animals will not be tolerated in Michigan.
Thank you for your time and for your commitment to upholding justice.
Sincerely,
Jodi Louth
President, MHWC
