WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – The public’s help is being sought as Waupaca County sheriff’s deputies investigate the sexual assault of a horse last weekend.
Authorities say the area where a pregnant mare was molested was on a property near Crain Road and County Highway T in the Town of Lebanon sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning. That’s just north of New London.
According to the horse’s owner, the animal was spooked and only called police a veterinarian examined the horse.
“One of his mares – that was actually pregnant – was actually bleeding from the back,” Waupaca County Sheriff Brad Hardel told FOX 11. “After the vet did his examination, he said the owner should call us, because, obviously, there was some malicious vandalism.”
The mare and her foal are expected to survive. Hardel says, unfortunately, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened in Waupaca County.
“We have had some similar type incidents years ago, so, unfortunately, we’ve seen it before and obviously, our process here is to resolve this as quickly as possible. The last thing we want is someone out there that’s doing this.”
Investigators have spoken with a person of interest, but no one has been arrested.
Hardel says forensic evidence has been collected and sent to the state crime lab for analysis, just as would be done in a sexual assault case. But since animal DNA is also involved, that evidence had to be sent to a second lab for analysis.
In the meantime, Hardel asks the public to contact them if they have information at the county’s non-emergency number, (715) 258-4466.