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The founder of an animal rescue charity says Biosecurity Queensland has advised her to stop feeding eight malnourished horses on a Darling Downs property because it will strengthen the case against their owner.
- Animal charity founder Marjorie Pagani says she is ignoring Biosecurity Queensland's request to stop feeding the horses
- She says 35 horse carcasses left on the Darling Downs property are a health risk
- Ms Pagani says she is "outraged and frustrated" by the inaction of state agencies
Marjorie Pagani from Australian Farm Animal Rescue Matters expressed outrage at the agency's inaction on the case, saying the carcasses of 35 horses that starved to death last month were also yet to be removed from the farm at Charlton, outside Toowoomba.
The charity raised the issue with the ABC about two weeks ago.
Warning: This story contains images some people may find distressing.
Ms Pagani said she had funded the feeding of the remaining horses because they were still not being adequately looked after.
"[I was] advised that we shouldn't feed them because then their condition will deteriorate further and they will make a better case against the owner," she said.
"I have personally told the head of Biosecurity Queensland that I will be in shackles before I will stop feeding these horses.
"The condition of the horses can best be described as stable, no more have died."
Ms Pagani said the "body count" was now at 35 horses dead and eight still critical, "what's the magic number" for Biosecurity Queensland?
Animal Farm Rescue Matters, with the help of volunteers, is feeding the remaining horses on a regime recommended by a vet.
"That is the only reason they're alive," Ms Pagani said.
"One of them, the little grey mare, is now deteriorating. She's spending more time on the ground then she is on her feet."
Ms Pagani also condemned authorities for not removing the dead horses from the property.
"[There is] lots of meat and flesh, whole horses, these are very recent deaths," she said.
"The smell is just outrageous. There are homes nearby. There's always, of course, the possibility of disease."
The charity said it had been advised that an elderly woman, who owns of the land, had the responsibility to remove the horses.
Ms Pagani said some days nobody went to the property, which is under surveillance, to check the horses' water.
"The really poor horses, of course, are being bullied by the stronger ones and not getting their share of feed, unless we guard them — which we do whenever we can," she said.
Ms Pagani said she was "outraged, dismayed and frustrated" that a government department was not removing and caring for the malnourished horses one month on.
She said the property had been sold and was due to settle next month, and that a lease on the site held by the horses' owner had expired.
Biosecurity Queensland has been contacted for comment.
Topics: rural, livestock, animal-nutrition, veterinary-medicine, animal-welfare, law-crime-and-justice, activism-and-lobbying, australia, qld, brisbane-4000, toowoomba-4350
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