For the past three months, Kitsap Humane Society staff and volunteers dedicated long hours to feeding and caring for nine malnourished horses.

Now the volunteers are hoping it’s time to say goodbye to the thoroughbreds and Arab mixes.

The nine horses have recuperated nicely and the staff at the humane society is hoping to find the animals loving homes.

“Everybody recovered way, way faster than I expected,” said Kitsap Animal Control/Humane Officer Jody Rosenblad.

The animals were seized by Kitsap Animal Control in early January from a South Kitsap man who did not properly care for them. All of the animals were underfed and a county judge said the man cannot have the animals back. One horse is blind in one eye and the oldest mare had sores on her back from horse blankets being left on for prolonged periods of time.

The horses are now friendly with people and some are reportedly rideable, but they all still need extra attention and care, according to Rosenblad and Kitsap Humane Society Development Manager Dana Lerma.

“They’re all doing really, really well,” Lerma said. “They’re finally at a point now where they can stand to have extra veterinary care done.”

The horses range in age from 2-25, with most between the ages of 10 and 15. The two youngest stallions need to be castrated before they leave the animal shelter, Rosenblad said, which is a costly procedure. All of the horses need their teeth floated, or smoothed and contoured with a file, and followup hoof work.

“This is a tremendous strain on what little resources we do have,” Rosenblad said.

Lerma said the volunteers who have stepped up to care for the animals for the past three months “saved the day.”

“The volunteers who have been here from day one, they have literally saved the day,” she said. “They continue to be here day in and day out three times a day.”

As for the South Kitsap man, he is charged with nine counts of second-degree animal cruelty. If he does not accept the plea deal he was offered, he will be charged with nine counts of first-degree animal cruelty, a Class C felony.

“You can’t convince this guy he can’t keep these horses,” Rosenblad said. “He thinks he knows everything, but he really knows nothing.”

The humane society will keep the horses until they are all adopted to loving homes or they find rescue facilities that will take the animals.

“We only have so much space here and we can’t keep them here for the rest of their natural lives,” Lerma said.

People interested in adopting a horse can schedule an appointment to view the animals between 1 and 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Contact the humane society to set up an appointment at (360) 692-6977 ext. 3. Interested persons will fill out applications and Rosenblad will conduct site inspections if applications are approved. The horses will go to qualified homes for a donation. All donations received will be used to help recover some of the expense for the horses’ care while at the Kitsap Humane Society. Lerma said the humane society also may allow the animals to go to foster homes provided the foster parents will provide adequate care for them.

The shelter is still searching for volunteers to care for the horses until they leave the facility. The shelter also needs various horse supplies including waterproof blankets and fly repellent sprays as well as cash donations for the horses’ medical procedures. Contact Lerma at (360) 692-6977 ext. 118 or e-mail dlerma@kitsap-humane.org for more information about donating to the Kitsap Humane Society.

For the past three months, Kitsap Humane Society staff and volunteers dedicated long hours to feeding and caring for nine malnourished horses.

Now the volunteers are hoping it’s time to say goodbye to the thoroughbreds and Arab mixes.

The nine horses have recuperated nicely and the staff at the humane society is hoping to find the animals loving homes.

“Everybody recovered way, way faster than I expected,” said Kitsap Animal Control/Humane Officer Jody Rosenblad.

The animals were seized by Kitsap Animal Control in early January from a South Kitsap man who did not properly care for them. All of the animals were underfed and a county judge said the man cannot have the animals back. One horse is blind in one eye and the oldest mare had sores on her back from horse blankets being left on for prolonged periods of time.

The horses are now friendly with people and some are reportedly rideable, but they all still need extra attention and care, according to Rosenblad and Kitsap Humane Society Development Manager Dana Lerma.

“They’re all doing really, really well,” Lerma said. “They’re finally at a point now where they can stand to have extra veterinary care done.”

The horses range in age from 2-25, with most between the ages of 10 and 15. The two youngest stallions need to be castrated before they leave the animal shelter, Rosenblad said, which is a costly procedure. All of the horses need their teeth floated, or smoothed and contoured with a file, and followup hoof work.

“This is a tremendous strain on what little resources we do have,” Rosenblad said.

Lerma said the volunteers who have stepped up to care for the animals for the past three months “saved the day.”

“The volunteers who have been here from day one, they have literally saved the day,” she said. “They continue to be here day in and day out three times a day.”

As for the South Kitsap man, he is charged with nine counts of second-degree animal cruelty. If he does not accept the plea deal he was offered, he will be charged with nine counts of first-degree animal cruelty, a Class C felony.

“You can’t convince this guy he can’t keep these horses,” Rosenblad said. “He thinks he knows everything, but he really knows nothing.”

The humane society will keep the horses until they are all adopted to loving homes or they find rescue facilities that will take the animals.

“We only have so much space here and we can’t keep them here for the rest of their natural lives,” Lerma said.

People interested in adopting a horse can schedule an appointment to view the animals between 1 and 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Contact the humane society to set up an appointment at (360) 692-6977 ext. 3. Interested persons will fill out applications and Rosenblad will conduct site inspections if applications are approved. The horses will go to qualified homes for a donation. All donations received will be used to help recover some of the expense for the horses’ care while at the Kitsap Humane Society. Lerma said the humane society also may allow the animals to go to foster homes provided the foster parents will provide adequate care for them.

The shelter is still searching for volunteers to care for the horses until they leave the facility. The shelter also needs various horse supplies including waterproof blankets and fly repellent sprays as well as cash donations for the horses’ medical procedures. Contact Lerma at (360) 692-6977 ext. 118 or e-mail dlerma@kitsap-humane.org for more information about donating to the Kitsap Humane Society.