Five horses back in Pender County couple possession

After having almost a dozen animals taken away from them for mistreatment, a Pender County couple now has five of their horses back.

“When all my horses are home, I’ll be very happy."

That was the only comment from Laura Westbrock, as she and her husband loaded some of their horses into a trailer early Tuesday morning. The horses were taken away last month by humane society volunteers, who said the animals were malnourished.

A local vet and judge gave the couple the OK to take them back, after the owners were sentenced to unsupervised probation. The horses will be monitored for a year, but volunteers who have been caring for the horses are still worried.

"I know they are going to be monitored for a year, but after that year what is going to happen? A lot can happen after a year, they could end up in the same state they were in now," said Scott’s Hill volunteer Lisa Watts.

A local vet just gave about half of the horses a clean bill of health to go back home. "It's sad, me and the other volunteers have put in a lot of work. I hate to see them go," said Watts.

The other 6 horses continue to be nursed back to health by volunteers at Scott's Hill Stable.