Kathy Jones kept 15 horses she called “my kids” on a 36-acre ranch north of Reedley. For a time, some achieved modest success at California race tracks.
She still calls them her kids, even after animal control officers came to her Last Chance Ranch and took 13 of the starving horses away on May 2. Two others died before they could be removed.
Those who arrived at the ranch that day describe a horrific scene, a far cry from the life Jones’ horses once led. The horses were severely malnourished and neglected, ribs jutting out and skin sagging. They were in dire need of hoof care and dental work.
