Owner won 'Love Your Horse' contest : Horses seized at Kent property

KENT — State Department of Agriculture officers and troopers from the state police seized 21 horses from Todd Cipolla’s property on 18 Mountain View Road on Monday, May 18.

Wayne Kasacek,assistant director of the department’s Bureau of Regulation and Inspection, said a complaint was received in April from a neighbor who was concerned about the welfare and condition of the horses.

The agency followed up and, he said, “During the course of the investigation, we determined that the animals lacked adequate feed and water.

“Investigators also observed some horses with overgrown hooves, causing lameness, as well as some with inadequate shelter.�

The investigators also noted that the animals had not received veterinary care and some appeared to have skin infections.

The animals seized from the property were eight adult horses, 10 adult miniature horses, three juvenile miniature horses and one miniature horse that was 10 days old.

They were all transported to the Department of Agriculture’s “Second Chance� animal rescue facility at the Gates Correctional Institution in Niantic. They are being examined by veterinarians and will be kept at the location for the immediate future. Kasacek said the horses would not be returned to Cipolla.

“They will all be rehabilitated and staff and inmates at the prison will assist in the program,� Kasacek said. “Once the horses have recovered, they will be included in the University of Connecticut’s auctions and will be sold off as surplus horses. They will not be available for adoption.�

The Department of Agriculture is working with the attorney general’s office and might pursue animal cruelty charges against Cipolla.  

Ironically, Cipolla was reportedly a recent winner of the “Love Your Horse� sweepstake sponsored by Blue Seal Feeds, Inc. Cipolla did not return calls for comment for this story.