CBS 5 Investigates With Anna Werner

VALLEJO (CBS 5) ― It's a situation that some advocates believe is a case of animal neglect: Dozens of horses roaming a hillside in Solano County, some with injuries.

From a distance, it's a peaceful scene as horses graze in the hills above Marine World in Vallejo. But some local horse advocates say a closer look left them feeling anything but calm. "These horses are really in jeopardy," said Louise Parker.

Parker and her husband Jason run a horse rescue group. They say they believe the horses are not being properly cared for. What makes them say that? Injuries like a gash right above one horse's hind hoof. "You can see the pus and the ooze that is coming out of this. Its just a huge gash, right across her foot," Parker said.

Then there's video shot by a neighbor a few weeks ago of another horse limping badly. "It took six days to get a vet out to see it," said Parker.

Another worry: watching those horses wander in a pasture that to them, doesn't seem to even have enough water. "I mean this is completely dry. Everything around here is dry," said Parker.

The Parkers were so worried, they took their concerns to the city of Vallejo. But Parker said: "They take days to respond."

So just what is going on with those horses? CBS 5 Investigates decided to find out. We asked David Sidie with Vallejo's Animal Control Department. "I've seen a few videos that have raised some concerns and we have been addressing those," Sidie said.

Sidie said concern about horses in this very public spot next to the freeway isn't new. "I have been here for several years and I have heard lots of complaints," he said.

But he said those horses aren't abandoned. They belong to the man who runs this stable down below, Oscar Luna.

Luna's response to the allegations? "Probably those guys don't have no job, that's what I think," Luna told CBS 5 Investigates. "These guys looking in the wrong place, I take care of my horses."

Luna said he usually buys and sells horses but has kept more on the property recently because with the downtown in the economy, few people are buying.

Meanwhile, Luna said the pasture above is a natural place for them to roam. "Those horses up in the hills that's the horse's place, that's the horses' place," he said.

And in a pasture he said, injuries are to be expected. "You've got lots of rocks, fence, wire," he said. As for the lame horse, Luna told CBS 5: "Yeah, he's got a little cut on his front feet, little scratch. I don't know what happened in the hills."

Luna admits the horses sometimes spend weeks there. "And they have food and water?" CBS 5 Investigates asked him. "Lots of food and lots of water," he responded. He said the water is in creeks, and it's all year round.

But one of the creeks we saw didn't have much water.

CBS 5 Investigates showed our video to equine veterinarian Ann Marie Buonanno, who said: "It's not clean, and it's just mud." Dr. Buonanno said horses drinking from streams need clear running water.

As for the injuries? "That horse is walking on 3 legs so there's obviously something very wrong," said Buonanno as she viewed the local resident's video of the horse limping. That horse and one with a cut above its hoof required immediate veterinary attention according to Buonanno.

Animal Control told Luna to bring those horses into stalls and ordered veterinary treatment, something Luna said he was happy to do. "Every time somebody come and I see something is wrong with my horses, I take care," he said.

But Louise Parker isn't satisfied with those answers, or the city's. "This is animal control's issue and they are not doing anything about it, its like they don't want to have to deal with it," she said. "They were somebody's pets, and this is where they have ended up."

Vallejo Animal Control is still investigating and Sidie said a key concern is making sure the horses have adequate water.

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