Facebook Draws Attention To Emaciated Oklahoma Horses

Havonnah Johnson, News 9

STEPHENS COUNTY, Oklahoma -- People across the country expressed outrage after seeing pictures of what looks to be malnourished horses in Stephens County on Facebook. People from as a far away as Florida posted online blasting the horses' owners.

You can clearly see the horses' bones, several of them look to be 400-500 pounds underweight. News 9 was there when the sheriff and a vet went to the home to investigate.

"This is abuse. It is neglect, it's severe abuse. There is no excuse for this if you can't feed them, then take them to the sale. Sell them, give them away do something but don't do this to them," a neighbor said.

The horse's owner, Deonna Liles, said she rescued the horses from abusive situations and cannot find hay to feed them. In tears, she vowed to never rescue another horse.

"No more, so whenever there is horses out here that needs a good home, they won't have one. I'm a nurse. I put everything I have into these horses and there will be no more," Liles said.

The vet went to the home and examined the horses. He is taking five of them to his office to run blood tests.

They are checking to see if the animals have a parasite or are malnourished. No charges have been filed against Liles.