Rescued Horses Sold At Auction

By Gordon HopkinsA controversial auction was held at the Palmyra Livestock Market on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, to sell horses seized last year from a veterinarian accused of animal abuse.On Thursday, August 17, 2023, the Gage County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic in Beatrice and Pickrell Veterinary Clinic in Pickrell, related to an investigation into the neglect of livestock at those locations.According to the sheriff’s office, 37 horses were seized.An affidavit requesting a search warrant noted, “The Gage County Sheriffs Office has received several reports from citizens concerning the care and possible neglect of horses owned by Jennafer Glaesemann,” and, “approximately 11 horses have died in the field behind the Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic and reportedly two more horses have died at the Pickrell Veterinary Clinic.”Epona Horse RescueThe horses were placed into the care of Epona Horse Rescue in Lancaster County, a 501c3 rescue dedicated to the welfare of horses.Lin Guyton, founder of Epona, told FJN she was furious when she was informed of the auction by Gage County, “Everyone says they want the best outcome for the horses. When a horse goes through the sale barn, their outcome is based on who pays the most money. That is not a positive outcome.”Epona and another horse rescue, Colorado Horse Rescue Network (CHRN), bid on as many of the horses as they could. Epona bought 18 and CHRN 10.The total paid for all the horses came to over $180,000.Guyton is also angry because, she said, “Every extra dollar that you raise on the sale of these horses is going straight into Jennafer Glaesemann’s pocket.”Why Charges Were DismissedDr. Glaesemann, veterinarian and owner of the clinics, was originally charged with 37 counts of animal neglect. However, Gage County Attorney Roger Harris later dismissed those charges. Harris explained he had doubts about whether or not he could prove abuse. A press release from the county attorney’s office said, in part, “Mr. Harris noted that the resolution of this matter was complicated by the presence of parvovirus which was detected in some of the remaining horses. This virus can result in a condition that is sometimes deadly to equine. Experts in animal husbandry have differing opinions about the diagnosis, cause and treatment of this virus making it very difficult to prove animal abuse by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. This is one of the reasons the county attorney agreed not to pursue criminal charges against Dr. Glaesemann as part of the stipulation.”Gage County Sheriff’s Department engaged the services of Dr. Jennifer Vrabel, DVM, to perform examinations on the seized horses. According to a complaint in the court file, “On August 22, 2023, Dr. Vrabel reviewed the reports of the necropsy of the two horses that were seized on August 9, 2023 and concluded that prolonged poor nutrition is the cause of neglect in this case.”“We wish to thank the volunteers who helped care for the horses,” said Harris. “and we realize not everyone will agree with the decisions that have been made. Hopefully, they will realize that it was a difficult decision based upon the investigation reports we had, a decision that was required by professional prosecutorial ethics and one which was not based upon social media or personal agendas.”As part of the agreement, Glaesemann cannot own horses in Gage County for the next two years.

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