Call to Action for Animal Lovers!
Abused horse being returned on plea deal by Clinton County Prosecutor
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
The horrible story being shared in today’s column ranks right up there with one of the most frustrating I’ve encountered in 50 years as a journalist. It’s downright sad and I need your help to get something done about it.
Share this Editor’s Notebook with everyone you know. Urge immediate action to get it to go viral.
I’d trade all my statewide and national awards to bring justice here.
Let's just say Clinton County needs to be thrown out of the USA. They elected a Prosecutor who needs to become famous as an example of the worst of the worst when it comes to delivering justice for his community. If the photos on today's front page don’t break your heart, grab a box of Kleenex and read this heartfelt letter below from an official at a horse rescue know as Horses Haven in Howell:
In all the years, in no world, would we have ever thought this could happen. Horses Haven, our staff, our veterinarians and our volunteers have been brought to our knees. If you have followed us and know us, we do not make posts screaming from the rooftops regarding our opinions on injustices in this industry.
We fully support, assist, transport, treat, house, care for, and honor the subpoenas to many animals involved in law enforcement cases. There were 96 in 2025 and 13 so far this year. Although flawed, we have to trust they system and the people in it to ensure these animals voices are heard and the law is upheld. It is a flawed system at times and we react to those flaws by educating, learning and moving on to the next horse in need, knowing that the people in the legal system are fighting alongside us.
Our stance has ALWAYS been to allow the legal system the time and grace to complete their investigation, never posting details on social media. In regard to Clinton County, our stance has changed.
On February 24, 2025, Horses’ Haven was called to a property in Clinton County. There were 2 animals involved, one was down, a body condition score of 1 and frozen on the ice but still breathing. The second was a shaggy pony, standing, also a body condition score of 1. We immediately mobilized our team, as well as our veterinarian and were onsite within 90 minutes of the call. Our efforts started with the grey horse. Warm IV fluids, medications and so many human hands trying to massage and unthaw his frozen flesh enough that he could get on his feet.
The effort to save the grey was not successful. He was humanely euthanized onsite. It was one of the worst deaths I personally have witnessed. The pony was seized, loaded and brought back to Horses’ Haven for intake evaluation and vetting. He was so shaggy and covered in burs it was hard to see what was under there. Laying hands on him made it clear just how emaciated he was. His soft nickers as we painstakingly removed the burs, drew blood and removed the sharp points from the few teeth he had left went a long way in softening the edges of our hearts that felt like they were left frozen on the ground with the grey.
We didn’t know his name and our veterinarian choose to call him RC, for rotator cuff, which she injured in trying to get the other horse to his feet. The name stuck. RC is very old and requires extraordinary care to keep alive. He cannot masticate even soft grass. He is fed soaked pellets 4 times a day to replace the forage he needs and can not chew. He eats three soupy grain meals a day on top of that to get the additional calories he needs. His cushings test was the highest we have ever seen. It is not easily managed by the medication and the side effects of the disease are significant.
He is not able to regulate his body temperature so when it is hot, he is hosed multiple times per day and brought in a stall to stand behind a fan. When it is cold, he needs a blanket and a heated stall.
Does he have good quality life? I was not sure we could get there. We did. He has a mini mule friend Wilma he adores, he can lift and hold his head high again, he runs to his meals, he knickers at everyone and his eyes sparkle with life. Does he have many days left? Likely not but those days deserve to be ones that are comfortable and preserve his dignity. Yesterday, I was ordered to return RC to his owner.
They powers that be in Clinton County Michigan choose to create a plea deal that has certainly signed this bright little soul to suffer a horrible, unthinkable death.
This was not a case of questionable equine welfare laws or grey areas. This case, presented to a jury of peers, would most surely have had a very different result. So today we step into an arena that is new to us. The arena where shock, compassion fatigue and the people who pour themselves into this work daily, are heard.
The Board of Directors, the staff, the 130 volunteers who have come to love RC and have accepted their role in his end-of-life care with such love and dedication.
The emotions, confusion, defeat, anger and so many emotions we have all have yet to put a name to are not easily conveyed in words but I am sure you can see them shining through in the photos. Whether hired or elected, the people who hold the positions that have allowed this unacceptable outcome need to hear these voices shouting from the rooftops. Our voices will likely not change the outcome for RC but they can surely change the outcome for future animals.
This is not our arena, we do not know where the ball stops and who holds the power to make a change.
* We do know that it is not Animal Control and their officers. We fully support and grieve with them so please do not reach out to them. *
Our hopes are that by opening up and sharing, RC’s story will make it to the people that do have the power to stop this from ever happening again. Help us share his story.
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Mike Killbreath appears on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio via The Morning Gazette Radio Show weekday mornings from 8 am until 9:30 am. He's an award-winning newspaper columnist and investigative reporter who is the former long-time owner of the local Metro Flint area chain of 14 community newspapers. This fall marks his 50th year as a journalist. He also hosts a new weekly national TV show known as The American Crusaders on cable TV and various OTT TV live streaming platforms.
