Collier official says horse rescue group improved its care after complaints

A Golden Gate Estates horse rescue group faced complaints that it was not properly caring for the animals it adopted.

Spur On Inc. was cited five times last year by Collier County Domestic Animal Services (DAS) — once for allegedly keeping a horse named Sundance in a manner inconsistent with recognized livestock husbandry practices. The other four citations pertained to expired Coggins blood test forms for four horses, according to a DAS report.

The rescue group also hasn't obtained two permits to operate in the county, said officials with the Collier tax collector's office.

Dan Grossi, Collier DAS field operations manager, said Spur On since has cared properly for the horses, which now are healthy.

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DAS began monitoring Spur On after an official with Florida's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported July 27 that 19 horses, some of which looked emaciated, were living on Spur On's property in the Estates, according to the DAS report.

"We've made regular visits there" to the ranch where the family of Spur On co-founder Brooke Peyton lives, Grossi said.

They found several horses with ribs showing from malnutrition.

Peyton, who founded Spur On with Sarah Cox, said she was not present at the ranch between June and August to care for the horses because of a personal issue. Instead, she left the horses in the care of family members.

She said she regrets that decision but plans to care for the horses now.

"It's not an easy thing that we've started," Peyton said. "To those who say negative things, I would ask for constructive participation.

"We're not animal hoarders or doing anything ego-driven," she said. "We're helping horses that no one else will take."

Several concerned people contacted the Daily News after an article featuring Spur On's mission to help veterans and families via equine therapy was published in the Collier Citizen on April 22. Many of the concerns expressed about the organization pertained to Sundance.

The horse, 24 years old at the time, was removed from the property in September after he was found emaciated, according to the DAS report. Sundance was donated to Spur On in June by a horse owner on Marco Island. By September, he had a body condition score of 1 out of 9, the lowest possible for a horse.

Sundance was adopted last year to a nearby family and now seems well, according to Loretta Canfield, a horse owner who helped nurse Sundance back to health.

Canfield said she is part of a tight-knit horse community that rallied to get the horse to gain weight and return to a healthy condition.

"The thing that's so sad is that it got to that point," Canfield said. "It was a healthy horse. There's no reason for it to starve to death like that (at Spur On)."

​Canfield hopes Spur On has learned from that experience.

"​I hope that if Spur On continues with their mission that they have the resources and funds to adequately feed and properly care for the horses," she said.

"Horses cost money to feed and maintain. I'm sure moving forward they will make the lives of their horses as much of a priority as the people they are helping," she added.

Grossi said the organization has made strides to adopt off horses it can't handle and properly feed. Spur On now cares for 11 horses.

"We're giving them a little latitude," Grossi said. "The first duty we had was for the horses to be healthy. Now we're working on the paperwork side of things."

Spur On became a nonprofit organization under Florida rules in April 2016, according to a report from the Florida Department of State.

But it hasn't yet obtained a permit via DAS, which provides permits to every animal-related business or organization in Collier County and has the authority to revoke such a permit. The organization also has yet to obtain a business permit from the county tax collector's office.

Peyton said the group plans to get the DAS permit in May.

Peyton and Cox addressed the negative backlash by posting on their organization's Facebook page: "Our goal remains the same, rescue horses and help serve our community. We have stopped taking in rescues at the moment because we have our hands full. We have adopted out quite a few since our journey began. I assure you the horses are happy and cared for."

Peyton began rescuing horses in 2013, "kind of accidentally," she said in the Collier Citizen article. Most of Spur On's horses were rescued from a kill pen in Louisiana, she said. Some were donated.

"We had decided to rescue a handful of horses and ended up with quite a few more," Peyton said.

Besides caring for fewer horses, they created an emergency plan in case they can't be at the ranch to care for the horses.

"Farms of members within the community have volunteered to foster during times of need," Peyton added.

Peyton and Cox said they hope to continue their mission to not only rescue horses but work with them to provide equestrian therapy to people suffering from addiction, abuse, loss and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"DAS follows up with us quite often, and they've given us suggestions as far as what we can do to make it better," Cox said.