Aust'n man charged with animal cruelty after 22 horses found dead

Australian police have charged a man with 92 counts of animal cruelty after 22 horses were found dead on his family farm in country Victoria.

The 63-year-old man was arrested by Victoria Police late on Sunday night at his property, 33 kilometers outside of Melbourne, and will front local court on Monday afternoon in one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in Australian history.

The man was also taken to Melbourne hospital for assessment.

Under Australian law, the death of animals through neglect carries a maximum two-year prison term, a ban from owning any animal for 10 years and a fine in excess of 50,000 U.S. dollars.

Neighbours tipped off the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) about the starving horses almost two weeks ago, but police only moved in to inspect the property on Sunday.

Investigators found more than 40 dying, or dead, horses as a result of neglect. Police said 22 of the thoroughbreds had died, while another horse had to put down bringing the death toll to 23.

According to neighbours, the property owner changed his phone number months ago, making it impossible for them to voice their concern.

Pictures taken by local media showed the horses to be suffering from extreme emaciation and malnutrition.

Neighbour Robert Mitchell, who raised the alarm last month, said he was giving a group of environmental scientists a tour of his property's creek when one noticed the smell of rotting flesh.

"A woman in the group saw a leg waving in the bushes," Mitchell told Melbourne radio on Monday. "She found seven dead horses in one section and five in another."

The animal welfare group is planning to do a full sweep of the farm in the course of their investigation.

"We're expecting to attend the property throughout Monday to assist police with their inquiries," RSPCA spokeswoman Natalie Filmer said in a statement on Monday. Endit