Abandoned on livery?

Pc2003

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We are on a diy farm. One livery who has been there for years has gone awol. She has 2 x 17h elderly horses. There are plenty of background issues like drink/drug/domestic violence but when things are good she cares for the horses well. We have had similar issues over the years but this time the farmer hasn’t spoken to her for 2 weeks now. Phone is either dead or off. Went to her address which is local but no one in. The farmer has been doing them daily and she owes a lot of money in back dated livery. He is worried they colic and need the vet and who pays the bill? Until recently they hadn’t been out there stable for weeks. She hasn’t asked anyone to do them.
Where does the farmer stand legally if we were to contact a charity to remove them or have them pts? Or what is the way forward?
 

ihatework

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Call BHS and one of the welfare organisations to discuss the abandonment process and hoops you need to jump through.
 

HeyMich

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I'd maybe actually call the police too, and register your concerns about the owner and lack of contact. Phone being off and home empty doesn't sound good...

Whilst she is AWOL, the farmer will have duty of care for the horses so he will technically be liable for vets etc. The BHS/WHW should be able to advise further.

Good luck
 

Pc2003

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I don’t think she is missing. The house looked lived in. This episode has been going on for 6 weeks and she had been in contact every other day or so but had been getting less and less then stopped. It’s not the first time it’s happened but this is by far the worst episode.
Maybe tho the police would be the right option thinking about it
 

ihatework

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The last contact she had was to say she was going to arrange to have them pts but that never happened

I’d be keeping that contact just in case you decide to go down the PTS route.

Problem is this is going to cost you and it sounds as though you have a cat in hells chance of getting paid any money owed.
 

Pc2003

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I’d be keeping that contact just in case you decide to go down the PTS route.

Problem is this is going to cost you and it sounds as though you have a cat in hells chance of getting paid any money owed.
That’s why the farmer hasn’t kicked her out before as he is clinging on to the hope he might get his money back.
Such a difficult situation. Thanks guys will get on the phone to WHW and see what they can advise. Just want to make sure we do everything by the book
 

Pinkvboots

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Similar thing happened to one of my neighbours, livery went abroad and left the horse at her property and a livery debt, she notified the police and they told her to put an abandoned notice on her gate and after 2 weeks she could sell the horse to cover the debt, the horse was able to be sold on so that is what she did.

Obviously these horses are elderly so not suitable to be sold on to cover costs, what an awkward situation I hope you manage to sort it out for them, I don't hold out much hope of the farmer getting any money back:(
 

pippixox

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A previous yard I was at had an owner disappear for 8 months with a horse on full livery. YO ended up taking it to court as it was so much money. Horses value would be unlikely to even cover a months! Owner appeared to be in Berlin for some reason. Eventually she got the money back. But this livery sounds like you wouldn’t even with legal action sadly (unless leaping to conclusions due to history) where as this was someone who had money but was basically crazy and would just go awol and ignore the consequences. Horse got a lovely loan home in the end until crazy owner wanted him back, god knows what happened to him then.
 

chaps89

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It sounds awful but the horses will know no different if they're pts and better in an environment they're familiar with.
And on a truly practical note, farmer is more likely to recover costs through vacating the boxes and getting new liveries in than keeping the horses on site and providing feed etc for them.
I potentially would speak to the police re missing person too - if there's a history of domestic abuse and drugs and she's previously been contactable, even if not visiting the yard in person, I'd be concerned for their welfare also.
 

Pc2003

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Absolutely pts is the best for them and her. If we could contact her we were thinking of all the liveries offering to club together and covering the cost of their euthanasia. Just to end it
 

MagicMelon

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I got one of my horses as an "abandoned livery" so the YO were allowed to sell the horse to me to cover the owners debt. I think its quite a faff but if I were you Id contact the BHS or a local horse charity to ask for advice. I dont think you can just club together and put the horses to sleep - they arent legally your horses to do that, what happened if she did suddenly turn up (which presumably she will eventually?) and finds her horses are dead? Of course they'd have been dead by now anyway had the farmer / you lot not been helpiing look after them but you know what I mean from a legal point of view.
 

ester

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They are if the correct abandonment notice has been given and it really isn't much a of a faff with the new legislation, they are then the YOs to do what best suits them (obviously selling preferred to recoup costs).

OP off topic but does she have anyone else in her life if she isn't at home would anyone report her missing if she was?
 
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