Dead Horse, Malnourished Animals Found at Nurse's Home

Multiple horses, a goat and a pig with little to no food or water in their enclosures.  Buzzards on the fence, a dead foal on the ground.

That is how a Pasco deputy described the scene at a Land O’ Lakes home owned by a Kindred Healthcare nurse Wednesday.

The officer arrived at 9856 Pangola Loop in response to a call about a possible dead horse on the property.

No one answered at the residence at the time, an incident report stated.

As the deputy surveyed the property, he noted that four of horses in the back pasture were underweight, with their ribs clearly visible. No food was in the enclosure, however there was water, the report stated.

The dead foal also was discovered in the rear pasture, surrounded by “numerous buzzards,” according to the report.

Four horses and a pony in the front pasture were not as underweight as those in the rear of the property and “appeared to be in a little better health,” the report stated. There was no water in the front enclosure, but there were some remnants of hay, according to the report.

One of the horses had been "saddled with a tight girth overnight," a complaint affidavit stated.

The sheriff’s Agricultural Unit responded to the scene and confirmed the animals belonged to Ellen Marie Marek, 52, of 4174 Parkway Blvd in Land O’ Lakes.

Marek also is listed as a co-owner of the property at 9856 Pangola Loop, according to property records.

Ten horses, one goat and one pig were seized by the sheriff's office.

Marek was arrested Wednesday afternoon and charged with cruelty to animals. She was released from the Land O’ Lakes jail late Wednesday on $150 bond.

More details about case are included .