Black Forest horse abuse case: Brunzell guilty on 8 of 14 counts

An El Paso County jury reached a verdict Friday in the case of a Black Forest woman charged with abusing horses under her care.

The jury of three men and three women convicted Sherri Brunzell on eight counts of animal cruelty, and acquitted her on six others.

Jurors deliberated seven hours before returning their verdict. Brunzell will be sentenced Aug. 13. Prosecutors said she could serve up to 18 months or only receive probation.

Testimony ended Thursday in the trial. Closing statements were held Friday morning before the case was handed over to the jury.

A courtroom source told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that Brunzell testified in her own defense and defended her treatment of the animals.

Last September, a neighbor found 14 horse carcasses inside Brunzell’s barn. Several days later, authorities seized 10 horses and four llamas from the barn.

In their opening statements, prosecutors said they would talk about the conditions of the horses, saying they were underweight, in need of health care and mouth care — conditions that didn’t happen overnight. They also said Brunzell wasn’t using a veterinarian because of lack of money.

Prosecutors said they would also talk about the condition of barn. How and when the 14 horses died remains unclear. Deep piles of manure were inside the barn, there was no ventilation and some horses were walking around the carcasses, prosecutors said.

Defense attorney Andrew Bryant said in his opening statement that no animal was in imminent danger. Bryant said the day the carcasses were discovered, sheriff’s deputies gave Brunzell a warning and a notice to comply. It asked her to get rid of the carcasses and to get the horses’ hooves trimmed. The notice had a list of things deputies could’ve marked off, but didn’t, Bryant said — including inadequate shelter, insufficient water, insufficient food and unsanitary premises.

Bryant said deputies gave Brunzell two to three weeks to get rid of the carcasses and get the hooves trimmed. He said she began to make those arrangements but deputies returned days later to seize the horses. Bryant said deputies were pressured because they received a lot of complaint calls. He said there was no neglect or abuse.

During Thursday’s testimony, the jury heard from Dr. Steven Cribley, a Castle Rock veterinarian who examined the surviving horses three times after they were seized.

Cribley said many of the horses had painful mouth ulcers, needed dental work and hoof work, and were slightly lame.

Cribley said the horses’ condition convinced him that they hadn’t had regular examinations. Four of the horses tested positive for parasites, he said.

Also taking the stand was Jay Williams, a farrier who examined the horses’ hooves and described them as being “in poor condition.” He said farriers often treat horses for free, or at discounted rates, to owners who can’t afford the cost.