Jean Marie Elledge was arrested Tuesday after King County Animal Control officials said they found four dead horses and 10 severely starved horses on her Carnation farm, just one day after rescuers said they found 10 starved horses on her Monroe farm the day before.
David Emery told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News he found his horse starving to death two years ago after hiring Ellegde to care for his mare following surgery.
VIDEO BACKSTORY:
Behind One Horse's Story Of Neglect
"Really sweet, wonderful sounding woman, really gentle. She was great with the horses. I had no clue there was anything wrong," Emery said.
Four months after leaving his horse in Elledge's care, he found his horse so hungry she had lost 250 pounds.
"The first time I saw her again and she was emaciated. I was shocked and just dumbfounded. How could that even happen?" Emery said.
According to Emery, other neglected horses were suffering just a few feet from Elledge's back door.
"They were just starving to death right in her window. I can't even believe that she could stare at them and watch them slowly get skinnier like that," Emery said.
Emery said in just two after getting his horse back she gained 75 pounds.
Emery called animal control after rescuing his horse but it wasn’t until last week that her Monroe property was raided.
"She shouldn't own animals anymore. If she doesn't understand food and water, that’s the most basic of everything," Emery said.
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