Two Langley, B.C., veterinarians will make their first court appearance Friday after each being charged with two counts of animal cruelty after half a dozen starving horses were found in their care.
Mark Marohn and his wife Carol Schoyen-Marohn were arrested last December after B.C. SPCA investigators were called to a Langley farm in the 2000-block of 208th Avenue. There they say they witnessed the couple using one of the horses to pull a car from a ditch. The horse, who was unable to stand, was euthanized at the scene.
"The horse had a blanket on and when we removed the blanket we saw how emaciated this poor creature was, said the B.C. SPCA's Eileen Drever.
When investigators went to the couple's property they discovered the five other neglected horses. It was a scene that Drever says she won't soon forget.
"I've been with the B.C. SPCA for 30 years and I couldn't believe how much these horses affected me. It was really disturbing to see them in that condition."
One of the horses was in such bad shape that he had to be euthanized four days later.
"The vet worked with him for most of the day and finally we decided he had suffered enough and the chances of him recovering were very slim, next to none and we made that decision to euthanize him," said Drever.
The other four horses have made a full recovery and will be up for adoption next week.
If convicted the couple each face a fine up to $5,000 and five years in jail. They'd also be prohibited from owning any animals.
