DCSO puts seized Terrebonne horses up for adoption

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office has announced it is now accepting adoption applications for the Terrebonne horses seized in March of this year.

“Due to such a high interest in the horses, we will perform a lottery-type draw system to determine the selection order of perspective adopters,” the agency said in a Facebook post late Wednesday.

Adoption applications will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. Visit the website at https://sheriff.deschutes.org/…/anima…/animals-for-adoption/ to download a Livestock Adoption Application. The available horses are shown in a web page posted Thursday at https://sheriff.deschutes.org/community/animal-control/animals-for-adoption/tb-adoption-horses/.

The week of Oct. 22, the sheriff’s office will perform background checks on applicants from the received adoption packets. The lottery draw will occur on Friday, Oct. 26 to determine the order in which perspective adopters will then select an available horse.

Horse pickup times will be scheduled between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2.

“We will not be able to hold selected horses for a potential adopter past November 2nd,” the agency said. “If the adopter will not be able to pick up the horse by Nov. 2nd, the horse will again become available for adoption.

“We welcome any pre-adoption veterinary checks at the adopter’s expense and all out of state adopters will be required to obtain a Coggins test prior to transport. Those who wish to not participate in the random drawing will have an opportunity to adopt any remaining horses after November 2nd.”

Contact Mariya Leufven at 541-588-0869 if you have any questions.

Submit completed adoption applications via email to mariya.leufven@deschutes.org, or fax them to 541-389-1928. Completed applications can also be dropped off during business hours at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (63333 Highway 20 West, Bend), or at our La Pine and Sisters substations.

Most of the horses being put up for adoption are among a total of 83 horses that were removed from a Terrebonne property last spring, 16 of which had to be euthanized.

Linda Stream and her daughter, Christina Hart entered no-contest pleas last month to 10 counts of second-degree animal neglect and are due for sentencing Oct. 30.