The Popcorn Stand: In this case there shouldn’t be any horsin’ around

These animals keep trying. But actually in this case based on the facts hopefully this animal is successful this time.

Even though an animal’s rights to take legal action continue to be stricken down, maybe this animal should have legal rights if it was indeed mistreated. The latest example of animal taking legal action is a horse who’s suing his former owner for $100,000 in damages.

Of course it’s actually not the animals who are filing the legal action, it’s humans who take the legal action and list the animals as plantiffs.

The latest case involves the Animal Legal Defense Fund in Portland against Gwendolyn Vercher, 51, for her treatment of a horse. The name of the horse just happens to be Justice, an 8-year-old American Quarter Horse. Let’s hope Justice is served.

Justice is seeking damages for negligence that left him 300 pounds underweight and afflicted with lice, a skin infection and damaged genitals from severe frostbite, according to the lawsuit. He will require special medical care for the rest of his life, the suit said. Justice now lives at a horse rescue.

Sarah Hanneken, one of the attorneys representing the horse in the case, said case law has shown animals have legally protected rights.

Vercher was sentenced to three years of probation for first-degree animal neglect and had to pay the grand total of $3,700 in restitution.

In this case there shouldn’t be any horsin’ around. Justice needs to be served.

— Charles Whisnand