Neighbors expose Pueblo West property owner facing 24 animal cruelty charges
WARNING: These images might be disturbing to some readers
(PUEBLO WEST, Colo.) — A Pueblo West woman has been charged with more than two dozen counts of animal cruelty, after a months-long investigation from the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO). Neighbors told FOX21 that at one point, they observed almost 50 horses on their property of less than half an acre.
According to PCSO, the investigation led to the rescue of six horses, nine dogs, five cats, two snakes, and a chicken, from the property of Elizabeth Barnes-McDaniel. PCSO reported that one horse had to be euthanized as a result of neglect.
Elizabeth McDaniel’s property, Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Cora Mitchell Elizabeth McDaniel’s property, Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Cora Mitchell Elizabeth McDaniel’s property, Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Cora Mitchell Elizabeth McDaniel’s property, Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Cora Mitchell Elizabeth McDaniel’s property, Courtesy: FOX21 Photojournalist Cora Mitchell
Court documents show that McDaniel, 38, now stands accused of 26 charges. Among these charges are 23 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. Additionally, she faces one count of aggravated cruelty to animals against a horse named Rocky. This charge is categorized as a class 6 felony, defined as unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly torturing, needlessly mutilating, or needlessly killing an animal.
FOX21 knocked on the doors of several neighbors in the vicinity who expressed concern over the conditions in which the animals were kept. They said they witnessed dozens of horses at a time cramped into quarters. They also said the property never had any shelter or covering from the weather elements. While they allowed FOX21 to take notes, fear of retaliation prevented neighbors from revealing their names or interviewing.
PCSO launched an investigation after Pueblo Animal Law Enforcement received a report in June of 2023, of possible animal neglect involving several malnourished horses owned by McDaniel. Animals were rescued from the property from June through December last year, the horse rescue pictures indicating severe malnourishment.
But, the reality of McDaniel’s alleged neglect extends beyond the animals in her direct care. One couple, Austin and Brianna Roy, purchased a horse from McDaniel nearly two years ago for their daughter, who suffered from medical trauma and found solace in horseback riding lessons.
It was through their daughter’s riding coach that they were introduced to McDaniel. Recalling the purchase, where the horse looked malnourished, much like the rescue pictures from Animal Law Enforcement. Brianna remembered McDaniel explaining that the horse appeared thin because she had rescued her from a kill pen.
McDaniel assured them that the horse had been examined by a veterinarian and had no underlying health issues. The Roys as first-time horse buyers trusted McDaniel’s assurances, given her perceived reputation, even when McDaniel said she couldn’t provide documentation confirming the horse’s veterinary examination.
They named the horse Rory and began training her for their daughter’s riding lessons. However, when Rory started to gain weight, McDaniel advised them to reduce her hay and grain intake.
“We were starving a pregnant horse…she just kept getting rounder and rounder, and we kept cutting her food because that’s what she told us to do,” Brianna tearfully recounted.
The Roys were unaware of Rory’s pregnancy until it was too late, and the horse suffered a miscarriage, leaving her traumatized and unfit to ride.
“Unfortunately, we took that lady’s [McDaniel] word for it, and so we weren’t able to give her [Rory] the correct care that she needed. There are supplements and vitamins that we should have given her… And we wouldn’t have ridden her so hard or trained her so much,” said Austin.
Upon seeking veterinary care for Rory, the Roys’ anguish compounded. They found out that Rory was almost a decade older than McDaniel had said she was, and undisclosed health issues, including several ulcers, had gone untreated.
“She suffered,” Brianna cried.
“It’s a shame. You know, animals rely on us to be taken care of the right way. They’re not just an accessory,” Austin lamented. He said Rory has since been sent to a rescue due to aggression issues after her miscarriage.
Neighbors reported that Animal Control arrived late last summer and removed all the horses from McDaniel’s property. In an attempt to ask for comment, FOX21 knocked on McDaniel’s door, but a house sitter said that both McDaniel and her husband were currently out of the state.
PCSO confirmed that McDaniel has not been arrested, but a first appearance court date has been scheduled for March 14. They clarified that the booking photo used to announce the charges was from a previous arrest.
Additionally, court documents reveal that McDaniel faces two counts of misdemeanor child abuse. These charges allege that McDaniel “unlawfully and with criminal negligence permitted a child to be unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat of injury to the life or health of the child.”
As the legal proceedings unfold, individuals like the Roys grapple with the aftermath of their ordeal, seeking both restitution for their losses and accountability for those responsible.
“She took a lot from us and from our daughter, who deserves nothing but the best, and I’d like to see her behind bars,” said Brianna.
With the names of each affected animal listed in court documents, the scope of Barnes-McDaniels’ alleged abuse becomes painfully clear.
PCSO says the rescued horses are being cared for at an equine rehab center, and other animals are being cared for by rescue partners.
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