Almost a month ago, Brenda Newsom bought a neglected horse for her granddaughter and started to nurse it back to health.

Last week, the Newcastle resident said she was upset to be treated as though she was now neglecting that horse when a county animal services officer came to investigate the animal’s living conditions.

“It was like I was being interrogated,” Newsom said Monday. “I automatically was treated like a criminal on my own property with a horse I had rescued.”

A Placer County Animal Services officer reportedly arrived at Newsom’s home Wednesday following a complaint of animal abuse.

Newsom said the officer was “antagonistic” as he questioned her about her horse, Rocky, and his conditions.

Mike Winters, program manager for county animal services, said at the time he cannot comment on the specific case because the department has a policy not to discuss ongoing investigations.

He said that officials look into all complaints and will investigate internally whether or not inappropriate action was taken.

“With the person who someone made a complaint of, it maybe (the animal owner) is unaware or not knowledgeable to take care of the animal in general,” Winters said. “The officer needs to be polite in all circumstances and be professional.”

Winters said the county office fields about 7,000 calls regarding animal abuse every year. He said sometimes dispatchers will take anonymous complaints depending on the type of call. Usually they take contact information for the complainant but do not release that to the person under investigation.

He said usually about two officers are on duty during the week and split the north and south parts of the county. On weekends and off-hours, one officer is on call.

Newsom said the officer who arrived at her home issued her a citation saying she needed a veterinarian to check the horse within five days so Newsom called veterinarian Molly Dinucci to her property.

On Monday, Dinucci, who is part of the Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center, said the horse was underweight, needed teeth care to help it eat more food, and she administered vaccines and de-wormed the animal. However, she said there were no signs of purposeful neglect on the owner’s part and said the animal’s living conditions were good.

Newsom said they bought the horse off a posting on Craigslist.com and spent almost $2,000 in supplies and care. She said the previous owner had started to neglect the horse when her husband was diagnosed with cancer.

Newsom said the family was planning to call a veterinarian soon to check the animal’s health.

She said they have taken the horse on walks around the property and have been feeding him and providing water.

“He’s really been treated well and we only had him three-and-a-half weeks,” Newsom said.

Newsom said she does not believe the complaint came from neighbors. Instead, she believes it came from someone driving by her two-acre property off Newcastle Road who saw her horse standing outside in the field.

“Basically, what I’m upset about is I don’t like being treated like this on my own property,” Newsom said. “Who’s to say that someone can’t go out and adopt an animal and someone drives by and sees one instance and they’re more reliable than an hour interview with me?”

The Journal’s Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com or post a comment.