Tramaine Marks, 24, of Church Point, was booked into the Acadia Parish Jail on nine counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and three counts of livestock at large.

On Charlie Arceneaux Road near Rayne, deputies with the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office discovered horses which were being neglected, while they were investigating a case of loose horses.

Nine horses were discovered not being maintained by their owner. Several horses broke through fencing as others were pinned inside of a barn.

These animals showed significant weight loss as their ribs and backbone being visibly observed, Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson said. There was no feed out for these animals and there were signs of the animals chewing on the wooden gate which was keeping them in the barn.

 The horses were chewing on the wood to help free themselves from the barn, Gibson said. 

Several horses showed signs of possible infections.

The nine horses were recovered and removed from the property, with the assistance of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Acadia Parish Animal Control Officer.

These animals were taken to a care facility in St. Landry Parish.