Dead horses, cows found dumped in Lea County lot

About a dozen dead horses, cows and goats were found on a vacant lot in southeastern New Mexico that appears to have been used as a dumping ground for unwanted animals, officials said Tuesday. Lea County officials have launched an investigation and will work to clean up the carcasses that could pose a health risk, County Environmental Health Department Director Lorenzo Velasquez said. "It looks like they were dragged out there," he said of the animals. The cleanup will start Wednesday, even though authorities have yet to determine who was responsible for dumping the animals. The New Mexico Livestock Board has also been contacted. Gov. Susana Martinez recently signed legislation to create a horse rescue shelter fund that will be financed through donations as well as a check-off option on income tax returns. The money will go to the Livestock Board, which would then issue grants to licensed horse shelters around the state. The program is modeled after a similar effort in Colorado that brings in about $100,000 annually...more