Extremely malnourished horse seized by SPCA

An extremely malnourished horse was seized by the Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) on July 12, and officers say it's the skinniest horse they've ever seen.

Marvin the horse is about half the size of similar horses his age, the Alberta SPCA said Tuesday in a news release. When the yearling was removed from his owner's property, he could barely walk. 

"His circumstances were entirely preventable," the release said.

The agency didn't specify where in Alberta the horse was found.

The SPCA said the level of neglect it's recently been seeing and the number of animals involved in cases like Marvin's are increasing.

The organization said Marvin's owners were breeding animals while struggling to take care of the ones they already had. 

"In many cases, the difficult economic times are a factor, but they cannot be used as an excuse to let animals suffer," the SPCA said.

Marvin's condition has improved since he was seized by Alberta SPCA, but the organization said it will be many months before the horse is healthy enough to be rehomed.

'I didn't expect him to survive'

Ryan Butterwick, an SPCA peace officer, said Marvin is the skinniest horse he's ever seen.

"I didn't expect him to survive, but Marvin has a strong will to live, so we're giving him every chance to do that," Butterwick said in the release.

The organization said the first step to ensuring animals have safe homes is for owners to evaluate how much livestock they can actually take care of. 

"Our organization implores owners to consider their responsibilities and their capacity to provide care for their animals," the release said. 

The SPCA said livestock owners should ensure they have a six-month supply of feed heading into the winter months.

If owners can't take care of their animals throughout the winter and spring, they should reduce their number of livestock.