2 Charged, Horses Seized Due To Neglect In Hubbard County

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Two owners have been charged with multiple felonies after investigators found dead and neglected horses at a residence in rural Hubbard County.

Johnathan Johnson, 32, and Stephanie Johnson, 27, both of Laporte, face numerous felony and misdemeanor charges related to animal mistreatment.

After receiving a report of neglect in April, authorities say investigators executed a search warrant at a residence outside Laporte, where they found four dead horses and five alive but in very poor condition due to inadequate nutrition.

When asked about one of the dead horses, Stephanie allegedly told authorities the animal "went down" in January and she shot it because it would not get back up.

While executing a search warrant, a deputy also found a dead foal on the edge of the fence, partially in the water. According to a criminal complaint, Stephanie reportedly told authorities she didn't know it was there and she wasn't sure which horse had given birth to it. Investigators say the foal appeared to have been dead for some time.

Investigators say the horses were starving and had been eating the trees and fence posts around them. The horses were seized and transported to another location.

Stephanie told investigators she and Johnathan purchase bags of alfalfa cubes daily for the horses. Authorities say they found multiple empty bags of cubes and one partial bag in the residence. There were no other bags of horse feed.