MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — It's not uncommon to see horses around Maple Valley but it is uncommon to see them standing in the middle of a busy street like Sweeney Road. That's where an emaciated horse was found.
King County Animal Control knows very little about the horse.
"It appeared to have been starved. It was emaciated. It had difficulty standing up," said Sgt. Tim Anderson.
They don't know how it got to Sweeney Road or why it was so skinny. They still don't know exactly why it died days later.
"We are waiting for the results of the necropsy to tell us a little more about the condition of the horse, the health, and what the cause of death was," Anderson said. "At this point though, we are just looking into it and trying to determine how did the horse come to be in this condition. How did the horse come to be at that location?"
The horse was found about a month after several starving dogs were located around South Seattle and Kent. All dogs have survived and there's no evidence of any connection among the cases. Authorities are looking for information about all of them.
"Whether it is someone who has done a delivery, a neighbor, a friend, family member, or even just the owner reaches out to us and let us know. We would like to talk to them," Anderson said.
The male horse was about 20 years old, Anderson said. They hope his unique coloring will help their investigation.
The public is asked to call 206-296-7387 (PETS) or email pets@kingcounty.gov with any information or tips.