Horses seized in Calhan placed in a home

Six horses were placed in a foster home Friday after being seized from a Calhan property where they had been found emaciated.

Gina Johnston, 33, who owned the horses found at her 1675 S. Calhan Highway home, was arrested in June on suspicion of animal cruelty. Four horses were seized from her property in 2004 and 19 horses were seized last year.

Johnston is scheduled to appear in court July 17. Because of her previous offenses, she could face a felony charge, 18 months in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Her husband, Marcus Johnston, was cited on suspicion of misdemeanor animal cruelty and released.

The animals were placed in a Dreampower Animal Rescue foster care Friday, the first time the authorities have placed animals with the nonprofit, said Lt. Clif Northam, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. Dreampower provides temporary homes to animals in need.

Horses seized from another property earlier this year by the sheriff’s office were auctioned, and two were sold to a slaughterhouse.

“Once they’re sold at an auction, we have no control over where they go,” Northam said. “Dreampower is very good at making sure they get good homes.”

Deputies found 13 horses, one mule and one llama on the Johnstons’ property. The six horses were held in Ellicott until they were transferred to a Dreampower home Friday.

A 10-year-old mare is due to deliver a foal soon. The other horses are between 3 and 5 years old, and three of the horses’ growth was stunted because of malnutrition.

The horses are the property of Dreampower and will be put up for adoption.

Coordinator Melissa Harrow expects to hold the horses at her home until the end of the summer.

“It’s a shame,” Harrow said of the mistreatment. “You don’t have 10 kids if you can only afford one.”

More than 12,000 animals have been placed in homes since Dreampower was founded in 1990.

Because the organization is nonprofit, Harrow is looking for food or cash donations.

“You have to watch horses like a hawk, like you watch how your grandfather eats,” she said.

“It’s a nice feeling when they’ll leave here, fat and in a good home.”