More than 160 rescued horses and farm animals have received urgent medical treatment or been transported to permanent sanctuaries as a massive animal rescue operation continues in Julian, officials said Tuesday.
Over the weekend, a coordinated team of 10 farriers, seven equine veterinarians, animal caregivers and volunteers pulled together on the Villa Chardonnay property to provide critical dental and hoof care, according to the San Diego Humane Society.
In total, 76 horses had their teeth floated to ensure proper chewing comfort, and 83 horses received long-overdue farrier services. According to officials, many of the horses on the site are lame, suffering from imbalances and severe cracks caused by a prolonged lack of proper hoof care.
The international organization Humane World for Animals has joined the response, deploying one team to assist with the remaining horses on the property and another to manage the daily care of cats that have been removed from the site. Meanwhile, a large-scale relocation effort began Friday to transfer the seized farm animals to the Humane Farming Association's 7,000-acre Suwanna Ranch in Elk Creek, California.
On Friday, two potbellied pigs, 12 goats, one sheep, and three chickens were transported from the County Animal Services facility in Bonita. On Saturday, transports continued with 29 chickens, four geese, four turkeys, and eight ducks. On Sunday, four donkeys, one mini mule, five mini horses, and one horse departed Julian for the Northern California ranch. Two alpacas determined unready for the long journey to Elk Creek were rerouted to the SDHS Escondido campus.
The operation has also led to several emotional reunions. To date, 17 horses, four cats, and two dogs have been reunited with previous owners who had originally surrendered their pets to Villa Chardonnay. Officials are currently processing more than 150 additional reunification requests. The SDHS called the rescue operation a massive undertaking, noting that the organization currently has 2,311 animals in its care across its shelters.
Since the rescue efforts began on May 1, more than 700 animals have been located on the property, including: 446 cats, 175 horses, 30 dogs, 30 chickens, 12 goats and dozens of other animals.
The Humane Farming Association, a nonprofit focused on protecting farm animals, said it conducted a yearlong investigation into Villa Chardonnay Horses with Wings for alleged "operational concerns and animal neglect," which led to this month's rescues.
After receiving court approval to conduct a veterinary inspection of the animals, HFA says it found "sick and injured animals who appeared to be neglected and were left to suffer in an ammonia-filled `hospice barn,' with an apparent lack of adequate clean shelter or true palliative care. Many of the farm animals were kept in small, substandard pens without access to the outdoors, and harsh conditions caused some animals to attack each other and/or self-mutilate."
HFA says the farm animals recovered during the operation will be transported to the organization's ranch in Elk Creek, where they will provided "permanent homes and lifetime care."
On its website, the 23-year-old sanctuary is described as a shelter where animals who have been "abandoned, neglected or abused ... find love, safety and a second chance at life" and "live out their days in peace and comfort."
Heidi Redman, a spokeswoman for the sanctuary, defended the work of Villa Chardonnay founder Monika Kerber.
"There is no neglect, no abuse of any of these animals. They were well taken care of," Redman told City News Service earlier this month. "There is definitely another side to this story and it should be told. They're (Kerber and her partner, Mercedes Flores) devastated. These animals were like their children. They (investigators) even took their house dogs, their personal dogs."
SDHS says its medical teams are providing exams for the recovered animals, many of which are being treated for conditions that include malnutrition, emaciation, untreated open wounds and contagious infections such as ringworm and giardia.
Some of the animals were "in such critical condition that humane euthanasia was necessary to prevent further suffering," including four horses, a pony, a bull and one kitten.
SDHS President and CEO Dr. Gary Weitzman said in a statement, "It truly is appalling. There is no question at all about the neglect, at the very least, that occurred out there. I am very happy that these animals have a new chance at life."
