I remember

Dear Editor:

They are all gone now, but I haven't forgotten them. The crime victims memorial on the Vernon County Courthouse lawn reminded me of them.

I remember the 40-some horses that died of neglect and slow starvation in a rural Vernon County pasture over the last several years. I remember the 20 others that were saved from the same fate by the Humane Society of Missouri, some barely in time to survive with heroic care.

The owner of the pasture has twice appeared in court, but still we haven't heard any explanation of how such an atrocity was allowed to occur in our area. Yes, all animals will eventually die, and many are deliberately killed for meat or to spare them from suffering.

I am not bothered so much that they died, but by the horrible conditions under which they lived, gradually losing weight and strength until they were too weak to stand and collapsed, sometimes lying on cold, muddy ground for days, unable to rise, until they mercifully expired. This egregious abuse cannot be condoned.

Some might argue that it is a natural process and therefore acceptable. But it is not "natural" to confine animals to an enclosure that is too small to support them. When people do that, they also assume responsibility to oversee the animals' condition, intervening as needed and providing supplemental nutrition. That is just plain good livestock management.

That is what went horribly wrong here. It was always too little, too late. Tom Reardon, who at this time has not been found guilty, had apparently been given every opportunity to learn from his management errors and correct them. He failed to do so. He seemed to mistake leniency for approval.

The horses in his care suffered horribly because of his failure. This appalling situation reminded me of World War II concentration camps, only looking like a death camp for horses instead of people.

Such an embarrassing atrocity should not be ignored or condoned. The guilty party (or parties) must be brought to justice and measures should be taken to see that this never happens again. I still expect to see Tom Reardon, who is alleged to have committed these acts, convicted in court and ordered not to keep any more livestock.

Mary Koefod