A Colorado couple has been charged with animal cruelty after a video that spread widely online showed a horse named Trigger being pulled behind a pickup truck in Grand County.
In the video, the horse can be seen struggling as it is dragged by its halter through snow, with a thick lead rope tied to the truck’s hitch. The video was posted to Facebook by the owner’s wife, Amber, and the driver was her husband, John. The post was removed after a wave of public backlash, but not before it had been viewed millions of times.
On Tuesday, authorities announced that both John and Amber were each charged with one count of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor in Colorado. Grand County Sheriff Brett Schroetlin said at a news conference that his office had been flooded with calls, emails and social media messages from the public. A charge is an allegation, and the case has not been decided in court.
According to reports, a veterinarian who examined Trigger did not note obvious signs of trauma but gave the horse pain medication for tenderness. Officials said they were seeking a search warrant to take possession of the horse. It was not yet known whether other horses on the property would be taken as well.
A woman who identified herself as the horse’s owner spoke to Denver’s CBS4 without being named on camera. Through tears, she said she realized the harm that had been done and said, “I was wrong.” Baller Alert could not independently confirm her identity.
The couple is scheduled to appear in Grand County Court for an arraignment on January 28th, 2020.
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