Sheriff finds no evidence of animal cruelty at Bastrop ranch

The Bastrop County Sheriff says no evidence of animal cruelty was found at a ranch where a horse died just over a week ago. 

Images of that emaciated horse went viral after the woman who spotted it posted it on social media. Sheriff Maurice Cook says the owner of the property allowed full access to his land during the investigation. 

The sheriff also located a veterinarian who specializes in rodeo animals to look at the livestock.

Although the vet was unable to get close to some of the wilder animals, the sheriff says the vet found adequate food and water on site. 

The sheriff also says the vet found no reason to remove the other animals from the property because there was no evidence of animal cruelty. 

A full statement from the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office was posted to Facebook on Tuesday

Katie Jarl, Texas state director of the Humane Society of the United States, responded to Sheriff Maurice Cook’s statement:

The sheriff's office says they will continue to monitor the property for several months to make sure the owner of the animals is abiding by the law. The investigation will also be sent to the district attorney for a secondary review.