Man charged with 84 counts of animal cruelty after nearly 80 horses rescued from Montrose property

By Sadie Buggle

Click here for updates on this story

    MONTROSE, Colo. (KRDO) — A Montrose County man is facing 84 counts of animal cruelty after authorities removed nearly 80 horses and several other animals from his rural property, many of them suffering from what officials describe as severe neglect.

According to the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), 61-year-old Scott Flores was issued a misdemeanor summons on Aug. 11 following a months-long investigation into the condition of animals at his rural Montrose property.

MCSO said the charges stem from an investigation that began on May 31, when deputies received a report of a dead horse on the property. Two weeks later, another passerby reported seeing another dead horse at the same location.

In response, an MCSO Animal Control officer visited the property, spoke with Flores, and took photos of several horses in his custody before reaching out to the Bureau of Animal Protection (BAP), the investigative division of the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

The sheriff’s office says BAP investigators obtained a search warrant on June 19, which allowed them to enter the property and document the conditions of the animals. A more extensive search followed on July 3, this time involving three veterinarians, BAP investigators, and MCSO investigators.

Humane Colorado previously shared that the nearly 80 horses rescued from the property were sent to their Harmony Equine Center in Franktown to receive urgent medical care.

In a release, the shelter said when the horses arrived, they appeared to have endured summer heat with insufficient food and lack of access to medical care. Among the rescued herd were young foals and several mares that appeared to be pregnant.

Many of the horses showed signs of physical and emotional neglect, and several were suffering from untreated injuries, infections, and severely overgrown hooves, Humane Colorado said.

“These horses didn’t get this way overnight, and they won’t heal overnight either,” said Dr. Kim Gardner-Graff, a field services veteran at Humane Colorado. “We’re treating wounds, infections, advanced lameness, and years of trauma from what appears to be severe neglect.”

Based on the veterinarians’ findings and Colorado law, Flores was charged with 84 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, MCSO said. Each count carries a potential penalty of up to 365 days in jail, fines ranging between $500 and $1,000, and possible anger management classes.

Flores is set to appear in Montrose County Court on Monday, Sept. 15.

In the meantime, Humane Colorado is asking for the public’s help with funding ongoing rehabilitation efforts for nearly 80 horses. The shelter is encouraging donations to help cover the cost of veterinary care, shelter and long-term recovery for the rescued animals.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.