People who live alongside a Melbourne property where the carcasses of 22 horses were found have expressed their horror at the alleged neglect.
The owner of the property, 63-year-old horse trainer Bruce Akers, has appeared in court on 92 charges of animal cruelty and criminal damage.
The horses were found dead in a Bulla paddock in Melbourne's north west by neighbours who went to investigate a foul odour.
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Carolyn Lofts noticed an injured horse on its back, but she wasn't prepared for the extent of the horror she would then find.
“Because of the smell I sort of walked away a little bit, and I walked over the cliff edge and that's when I noticed the other two piles of horses,” she said.
“It's sickening, I just, I still feel so ill about the whole thing,” neighbour Cherie Mitchell said.
Nearby residents told SBS News they were disappointed the RSPCA did not act on a complaint they made almost two weeks ago.
The animal welfare charity visited the property but didn’t go inside.
“The initial report was that there was a lack of feed at the property, we did not have reports about starving animals at the property,” Inspectorate Manager Allie Jalbert said.
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Racing Victoria’s head of equine welfare and veterinary services, Dr Brian Stewart, said their last inspection, in July 2014, was satisfactory, though he said aerial surveillance may have revealed more than could be seen by inspectors on the ground.
“This trainer has been inactive since 2011," Dr Stewart said.
"While he's retained his license, he hasn't been actively training and racing horses.
“Immediately he’s been stood down - and that will progress further - to investigate.”
The RSPCA’s Allie Jalbert described the case as appalling, but said it was part of a wider problem for the charity, due in part to drought and a lack of feed.
“In Victoria at the moment, we are getting reports across the state, about dire conditions of horses and we are responding every single day,” she said.
“It is simply stretching our capacity to respond, as quickly as what some people would like."
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