Authorities charged an Edinburg man this week with animal cruelty after deputies found his dying female horse.
Margarito Rodriguez, a 60-year-old Edinburg resident, was charged with cruelty to a livestock animal after he allegedly failed to provide the necessary care to his horse, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A sheriff’s deputy arrived at the 600 block of 84th Street in Edinburg on Feb. 27 after receiving a call in reference to animal cruelty.
When the deputy arrived he found a black horse on the floor that appeared to be malnourished and weak, according to the affidavit.
After seeing the conditions of the horse, the deputy talked to the property owner who informed the deputy that the horse belonged to Rodriguez. He told the deputy that he noticed the horse had been sick for several days, and that he had previously told the owner to take the horse to a veterinarian.
When authorities met with Rodriguez, he said he had been “giving electrolytes to his horse to help it get better,” the affidavit stated.
Rodriguez also told the deputy that he was going to have his horse seen by a veterinarian in order to get medication that would help it, according to the affidavit.
Sheriff’s investigators later interviewed Rodriguez, who said that people were concerned about the horses’ condition, authorities said.
The horse later died at his home.
Investigators say Rodriguez admitted he should have taken his horse to a veterinarian.
Authorities booked Rodriguez into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday and he bailed out on a $1,500 bond that same day, jail records indicate.
