MUKWONAGO — A former employee of a Mukwonago horse farm is speaking out after authorities found malnourished horses and 11 firearms during a November search, but no animal abuse charges were filed.
Lisa Vega worked for Ralinda Howard at Black Diamond Friesians for four years. During that time, she said she made complaints to authorities and documented the conditions at the farm, but nothing changed.
"Some of the first things I started noticing was the number of injuries we were seeing," Vega said. "It's a number that you start seeing that really start giving you a pause."
When asked why she stayed at the farm for so long despite the conditions, Vega said she had a simple answer.
"I stayed because I was not able to get any resolution, and I couldn't leave until I got resolution," Vega said.
Watch: Former employee says more needs to be done after horse farm owner charged with gun crimes
In November, Town of Mukwonago police served a search warrant based on a report about neglect at the farm. Two veterinarians accompanied officers and found that horses appeared underweight, shelters for the horses were too small and in disrepair, and loose sheet metal was on the property, creating a potential safety hazard.
Police also found 11 guns, which Howard should not have had because of a past felony conviction. The Waukesha County District Attorney charged Howard with 11 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon.
No charges related to animal abuse were filed, something that upsets Vega.
"There's still is this big problem of 42 horses on 9 acres who have extensive history of neglect and abuse and illness, and they need somebody to speak for them," Vega said.
TMJ4 tried to reach Howard through her personal phone, her business phone and her email on Monday, but did not get a response.
TMJ4 also contacted the Town of Mukwonago Police to see if they were still investigating the potential abuse, but did not get a response in time for this story.
Howard is due in court for her gun possession charges on Thursday.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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