2 suspects in Arizona caught on camera abusing elderly horses, owners seek answers
2 horses, aged 30 and 25, punched and hit with rocks in Desert Foothills, owners say
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two suspects in Arizona are being sought after getting caught on camera early Thursday appearing to abuse two elderly horses.
A deputy responded around 9:30 a.m. to a property in Desert Foothills, about 6 miles south of Phoenix, to a report of two males who physically hit and threw rocks at two horses overnight, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News in an email.
MODERN PENTATHLON COACH WHO STRUCK HORSE SENT FOR TRAINING
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The horse owners showed the deputy video of the alleged incident, the sheriff's office said. The owners posted a video of the incident onto a GoFundMe page to raise reward money in an effort to catch the suspects.
The couple who own the horses, Sean and Dana Pietsch, told KNXV-TV that one horse, named Indy, is 30-years-old and "lives a retired life."
The couple said that the video shows two young men punching and throwing large river rocks, as heavy as 6 pounds, at Indy while he was locked inside his pen with no means of escape.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He was crashing into the rails, trying to do everything to get away from them – to get out of his pen," Sean told the station regarding Indy.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The second horse, a 25-year-old female Palomino attempted to help Indy but was also assaulted, according to the couple.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"These two horses are the sweetest horses and we love them very much," Dana Pietch wrote on the GoFundMe page. "They did not deserve to be attacked in this fashion by anyone."
The sheriff’s office said the two suspects have yet to be identified and the case is still under investigation.