The

urged the public on Monday for help: A woman suspected of neglecting her horses has disappeared along with her starving horses.

When investigators visited the property of Yvonne Byrd-Lynch in Rainier on Saturday, they could not find her or the horses. She owns six horses, including a stallion and two foals. Photos provided by the society depict severely malnourished mares with their ribs and hip bones sticking out. One foal, with a blood-stained knee, is lying down while another is nursing.

David Lytle, spokesman for the humane society, said investigators want to track down Byrd-Lynch as quickly as possible in hopes of helping the horses.

“We can’t locate her and we don’t know where the horses are,” said David Lytle, spokesman for the society. “The high temperatures put these horses at grave risk.”

In May, the humane society cited Byrd-Lynch for animal neglect after one of its investigators found a dead horse in her field. She lives at

. Although the exact cause of death of the animal is unknown, Lytle said the dead horse was clearly malnourished.

That case put her on the radar of the society, which has law enforcement authority for animal welfare issues in Oregon.

“Once you find a dead horse on somebody’s property who’s been neglected, there is concern for the other animals,” Lytle said.

The society asked anyone with information about the horses to call 503- 285-7722, ext. 214 or email

.

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