It is crucial to always do right by your animals and make sure they are comfortable. A slip-up can cause your pets misery and pain… and lead to serious consequences.
That was the case for one couple, who were cruelly dragging their horse by vehicle down a snowy road.
John and Amber Saldate, from Colorado, were the new owners of a horse named Trigger. They had gotten him for cheap, after he reportedly caused issues for his previous owners, according to CBS Denver.
But one careless stunt showed that they weren’t equipped to care for a horse: they attached Trigger to the back of their truck, and drove off dragging him behind him.
The poor horse can be seen trying to come to a halt, but the couple continues driving. Trigger loses his footing and trips to keep up with the car, which reportedly drove at least 100 yards down the road.
According to KRDO, in the original video you can hear the drivers explain they’re pulling the horse because he’s “barn sour.”
But soon, outrage struck. Onlookers saw the incident, one of whom took a video which went viral on social media.
The Grand County Sheriff’s Office was flooded with calls about the incident, and an investigation began. The owners reportedly cooperated with the investigation.
Soon, the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced that the Saldates had been charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty.
Trigger was evaluated by a local veterinarian. He was not found to have any trauma, but was tender and required pain medication. The horse was transferred to the local Humane Society.
The owners, meanwhile, have expressed deep regret and remorse for what they did. Speaking to CBS Denver prior to her arrest, Amber apologized for what they put the horse through.
“You make one bad decision sometimes and it can destroy your life,” she said. “I’ve lost my job over this, I’ve upset a lot of people. I made our horse go through something that he shouldn’t have. I was wrong.”
“I’m very sorry. I get why people are upset. I was so stupid, I don’t know why we did it.”
We felt terrible for what this horse went through, but at least justice was served and the perpetrators have learned their lesson.
We hope Trigger is in better hands now. Share this story!
