Sixty-eight horses belonging to Lesotho's military have been confiscated by the Bloemfontein SPCA on the grounds of animal cruelty.
The organisation said it investigated after receiving complaints and found that six of the animals had already died while another three were in terrible pain and could not get up.
"After concluding they were completely dehydrated, inspectors put the animals down," said Bloemfontein SPCA senior inspector, Reinet Meyer.
"In the camp where the horses were, there was absolutely no food or grass to eat. The horses were starving," she said.
The SPCA said only one officer from the Lesotho government's army was on duty on the farm to look after the animals and there was no veterinarian to treat those that were ill.
"Some of the horses are completely blind in the eyes and struggle to see. Some of the horses also have cancer crops on them and are in extremely poor condition".
Bloemfontein SPCA inspector Tebogo Maswanganye said a complaint of animal cruelty had been laid against all those involved.
- African News Agency (ANA)
(Pic: Supplied)
