Eight horses seized April 19 by the Vicksburg-Warren Humane Society will be offered for adoption in a few weeks, the society’s president said.

Georgia Lynn said the horses’ owners did not contest the seizure, allowing the humane society to place the horses.

The seizure order originally called for 10 horses to be taken from Dewayne and Christie Kennedy, who had leased land in the 3300 block of Bovina Cut Off Road. However, only eight horses were seized because two had been moved before Warren County deputies and humane society volunteers arrived. Lynn said she would ask the judge what to do about getting the remaining two horses.

“I don’t know where they are,” she said.

Four of the horses are owned by the Kennedys, who were being paid to take care of the six others by different owners.

At the time the horses were seized, all exhibited symptoms of chronic malnutrition, said veterinarian Eddie Lipscomb. Severe cases of worms caused the malnutrition to some degree, Lynn said. Veterinarians also found cracked feet, ticks in the horses’ ears and rain rot – a fungus that causes fur to fall off – on several of the horses’ coats. The horses all had exposed ribs and hipbones, to varying degrees.

All of the horses except one are almost recovered, Lynn said. One horse is pregnant, and the fetus is in good condition, she added.

They have been kept on the farm of a humane society volunteer, as the organization has no facilities for keeping large animals at its headquarters on U.S. 61 South.

More than $1,000 has been spent getting the horses healthy, Lynn said. Donations of food or medicine are appreciated, she added.

Lynn said she will not pursue criminal charges against the Kennedys because of the severe cases of worms would make proving the horses were starved difficult.

The criminal code that allows prosecution for not feeding or watering animals is much more narrow than the civil law which allows abused animals to be seized, Lynn said.

The humane society has a contract with Warren County for pet and animal control services.

At the time of the seizure, Christie Kennedy said the horses had been fed.

“We fed them hay all winter,” she said.