EAST HAMPTON--The Department of Agriculture seized more than 100 neglected animals from a breeder in East Hampton on Tuesday.
The department said it seized 32 horses, more than 80 chickens, two dogs and several rabbits from the Fairy Tail Equine Facility, located on Daniel Street. The facility is owned by Thomas and Melanie Olajos.
The seizure occurred after a warrant was issued following an investigation determined the animals were malnourished, not receiving proper veterinary care and were living in unhealthy conditions.
The horses were taken to the Second Chance Large Animal Rehabilitation Facility in Niantic. The other animals were brought to municipal shelters in nearby towns.
Warning: some of the images in the gallery may be too graphic for some viewers.
State Rep. Melissa Ziobron, who represents East Hampton, started a GoFundMe page on Tuesday to raise money for the Second Chance facility because "state budgetary funds are extremely tight." The fundraising page is looking to raise $10,000 to care for the animals. Within three hours about $1,500 had been raised, including $100 from Ziobron.
"With our unbelievable budget pressures, we're not in the business to become necessarily farmers, to take care of these animals long term," said Ziobron."The goal is...for us to get them healthy and safe and then find the appropriate homes or whatever the process may be."
The investigation began in September after East Hampton's animal control officer got a complaint from a woman who had leased four horses to the breeder and said they were emaciated when she picked them up. The horses were hospitalized for malnutrition and parasites.
The animal control officer went to the property on September 9 to investigate, but was barred from seeing the animals. The next day the Department of Agriculture got involved and sent its own animal control officers. The officers found that there wasn't any hay or grain for the horses to eat on the entire property, and that about half of the horses were underweight and had muscle wasting, protruding hip bones and visible rib bones and spines--all signs of malnutrition.
The state tried to work with the Olajos couple to improve conditions for the animals. Thomas, who was there during the inspection, was told to have hay and clean water available for the horses at all times and to get veterinary care for those with untrimmed or cracked hooves.
The vet came and determined many of the horses were anemic due to malnutrition, so Thomas was told to give the horses double the amount of hay.
The Department of Agriculture made continual visits to the property and noticed only some of the horses had gained weight, and Thomas admitted he had not followed the feeding instructions given to him.
On December 4, on yet another visit, state animal control officers found the horses again had no hay and not all had water. When the officers gave the horses water, they drank gallons at a time, indicating they had been dehydrated for some time.
“Our goal was to work with the owner to rehabilitate the horses on site,” said Dr. Bruce Sherman, director of the agency’s Bureau of Regulation and Inspection. “Unfortunately, our best efforts to bring the owner into compliance did not result in all of the horses being cared for to the degree that we required.”
The state is still investigating to determine if criminal charges will be filed.
FOX 61 reached out to Thomas Olajos, who said he wanted to give his side of the story but was advised by his lawyer not to comment on active litigation.
The couple is also being sued by a former landlord for another horse farm--Once Again Farm in Meriden--they leased and didn't maintain. They also weren't current on payments for the lease or utilities.
The Olajos couple breeds Freisian, Andalusian and Gypsy Vanner horses.
If you want to contribute to the GoFundMe page or the animals' care, you can click here or mail a check to:
THE ANIMAL ABUSE COST RECOVERY ACCOUNT
c/o Connecticut Department of Agriculture
165 Capitol Avenue, Room G-8A
Hartford, Connecticut 06106