Beatrice court hearing set in alleged animal neglect case

BEATRICE – A hearing will be held next week on a petition by the Gage County Sheriff’s Office to dispose of seized horses in an investigation involving veterinary clinics in Pickrell and Beatrice.

The sheriff’s office is seeking immediate forfeiture to the office, of horses impounded by the sheriff, that would then be sold at public auction.

Recently, sheriff’s officials cited 38-year-old Jennafer Glaesemann with 37 counts of animal neglect, after a Nebraska Brand Committee investigator observed malnourished horses on Glaesemann’s property.  The investigator determined that the majority of the animals were emaciated.  Sheriff’s deputies got a search warrant August 9^th to seize two dead horses.  Two other horses were reported by the defendant to have died, about a week later. 

Law officers obtained a second warrant to impound remaining livestock at the properties.   In all, 38 horses were seized by authorities with 36 of the animals taken to a horse rescue organization in Crete, to be housed and fed.

After the horses had been taken to Epona Horse Rescue, a veterinarian examined the animals…which had wounds and other medical concerns.  According to court files, a necropsy of two dead horses, the veterinarian said, pointed to prolonged poor nutrition as the cause of neglect.

A hearing will be held Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., in Gage County District Court, on the petition to dispose of seized property.