Emaciated Horses Found at Jonesboro Farm

The state Agriculture Department is saying it has found nine “extremely emaciated” horses at a Jonesboro farm.

A department spokesman said two dead horses were found on the farm yesterday.

Officials found the farm Tuesday. They had received numerous calls about skinny horses at the farm. It belongs to Dr. Phillip Breaton. Inspectors returned to the farm with a veterinarian a day later.

The horses have been moved to state stables in Newton County. A spokesman for the Agriculture Department says they are expected to recover.

Ten other horses were left on the property. They were considered to be in better condition than the others. Officials left written instructions on how to care for them.

(AP)

Check Your Expiration Dates!

You might want to check the dates on your milk, eggs and baby formula a little more closely. That's because budget cuts may force the state's Department of Agriculture to reprioritize their resources and officials say inspectors won't be able to closely monitor the expiration dates on those products. The department slashed more than 11% of its budget, with most of that coming from administrative costs.

Equipment Crack May be Cause of Salmonella Outbreak

Georgia officials are still trying to determine the cause of the salmonella outbreak that's been linked to six deaths and more than 150 product recalls.

A crack in a piece of equipment that processes peanuts in a plant in Blakely, Georgia might be the cause of the nationwide salmonella outbreak. That’s according to state agriculture officials.

Department of Agriculture spokesman Oscar Garrison says they will continue to work with the US Food and Drug Administration to find the exact cause.

“There are some environmental samples that were taken by FDA that have turned up some positives as well as a couple of product samples take by our department that have turned up some positive results as well for salmonella.”

While salmonella isn't normally expected to turn up in peanut butter, 486 people from 43 states have contracted the illness.

All of the products recalled so far use peanut butter or peanut paste from the plant in southwest Georgia. But officials say peanut butter on store shelves is safe because they don’t sell directly to consumers.

Rescued horses go up for auction

27 horses rescued from neglect earlier this year go up for auction Saturday. The state Department of Agriculture is hosting the sale in Jasper County north of Macon. The horses were among nearly 100 the state rescued in February from a farm in Pike County. You can link to more information about the auction – including to a color catalogue -- here.

Abused horses sold at auction

54 abused horses have new homes. They were sold at auction Saturday by the Department of Agriculture. The horses are among hundreds of animals rescued earlier this year during a raid on a farm in Pike County. Many of the animals were starving and diseased. The Department of Agriculture says volunteers and donations were responsible for rehabilitating the animals.

Neglected animals need new homes

Horses and donkeys that have been nursed back to health after being discovered neglected need new homes.

The state is auctioning about 50 of the animals off on Saturday. They and hundreds of other animals were rescued from neglect and abuse in February from a farm in Pike County.

They had been under quarantine, but experts say they have recovered well and now need loving homes.

Photos of the animals will be available at the Department of Agriculture’s website www.agr.georgia.gov.

Neglected horses are healthy, ready for auction

The state is auctioning off horses rescued from neglect earlier this year. They are among the more than a hundred horses and dogs found diseased and starving in February on a Pike County farm. The state Department of Agriculture and volunteers have nursed many of the horses back to health. The number of horses that will be auctioned Saturday will be announced Friday. For more information on Saturday’s auction, contact Pony Express Sales in Covington, Georgia.