Amanda Bluxsome: former South Coast veterinarian nurse starved horses
A former south coast vet nurse starved her a number of her horses so badly they were no longer able to stand.
Illawarra Star
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A Bomaderry woman who left her four horses in such an emancipated condition, that some were no longer able to stand on their own due to starvation, has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.
The RSPCA was first alerted to the horses being kept in Dowling Street, Falls Creek, in February 2019, following reports from concerned members of the public, according to agreed facts tendered to Nowra Local Court.
The horses belonging to Amanda Bluxsome, 29, were relocated to a different pasture owned by Aboriginal mission Roseby Park and following eight months of RSPCA inspections, were deemed to be in a suitable body condition. The horses were then returned to Bluxsome.
An RSPCA inspector again attended a different property in Falls Creek on February 13 - just six weeks later - and found two chestnut Arabian horses and a roan horse owned by Bluxsome, that were also deemed emaciated, and several ponies to be in poor condition.
The same evening, the aunt of the woman, Tanya Bluxsome phoned RSPCA to say that one of the horses named Jackpot was unable to stand.
A veterinarian attended and gave Jackpot a body score of 1 out of 9 on the Henneke System and deemed it cruel to keep him alive.
It was estimated that the horse had required veterinary treatment for the past two months, court document show.
The following day, three horses Tinkerbell, Ernie and Scooter were seized by the RSPCA on the grounds of animal cruelty.
Despite efforts to feed and water Tinkerbell, and encouragement for the mare to stand up, she was deemed too weak to treat and was euthanised.
During an interview, Tanya Bluxsome told inspectors a third horse had died on February 9 after going down and being too weak to stand.
Two horses, Ernie and Scooter, recovered and put enough weight back on be rehomed.
Amanda Bluxsome was charged with two counts of committing an act of aggravated cruelty upon an animal, being in charge of an animal and fail to provide vet treatment and fail to provide property and sufficient food to an animal.
She pleaded guilty to all the charges in Nowra Local Court on Monday.
The court heard the former veterinarian nurse had been a victim of abuse, and had used substances to cope.
Magistrate Gabriel Fleming said the matter was ‘very concerning’ and carries a maximum jail term of up to two years.
A sentencing assessment report was ordered for December 21.