Rio severe malnutrition (Daily Mail photo)
A young Australian couple was fined A $4000 for starving his pet horse to death, leaving him hungry enough to eat his own feces.
A 20-year-old West Australian couple pleaded guilty to animal abuse at the Corley District Court on Feb. 27, the Daily Mail reported.
In May last year, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Animal abuse (RSPCA), based on report, found a stallion named Rio, severely malnourished, curled up in a filthy fence with clear ribs and spine outlines.
The RSPCA inspector sent Rio to the local veterinarian. As Rio`s condition worsened, veterinarians were forced to euthanize him two days later.
Swift (Amanda Swift), head of RSPCA Western Australia, said the couple underestimated the cost of raising horses and their subsequent abuse made her angry.
The couple were each fined A $2000, plus extra fees, including more than A $700 in veterinary bills. They were also banned or kept horses for five years.
