Local Horse Owners Suing Equine Angels Rescue
BUTLER (KDKA) -- Brian Arendosh says he wants stop Equine Angels Rescue from bullying local horse owners.
Arendosh is one of five people suing the agency and its director Pam Vivirito to get their horses back.
In March, he turned six horses over to Vivirito after she claimed the horses were starving and neglected and threatened to expose him to the media.
"She's done this to four other people after me same methods sneaking on people's properties taking photos saying it was an anonymous tip and then turning around brining the media storming and taking your property," Arendosh said.
Arendosh blames the winter and a bad hay crop saying it was difficult to keep weight on the horses and wasn't due to neglect or abuse. He and the other plaintiffs accuse Vivirito of extortion, racketeering and wire fraud.
"She comes on the property and makes you out to believe she has authority to do this, when in turn she has no authority," Arendosh said. "She uses the media for donations and also to advertise her horses after she takes them."
Mark Brletrick's name is not on the lawsuit, but he says Vivirito and Equine Angels took their horses in February claiming they were neglected and abused.
"Pam and them came and seized our horses, no food no shelter no water," Brletick said.
Recently a judge ordered Equine Angels to return Brletrics horses; he says they came back in worse condition.
"Basically they didn't do anything for them," he said. "She stated at the court hearing they did fairer care, they needed teeth floated, they were lacking weight, they were full of worms and basically they came back with no fairer care, nothing was done."
Vivirito did not want to talk on camera, but she told KDKA the lawsuit is shooting the messenger because she is the person called by the Humane Society in equine abuse cases. She says the pictures don't lie and the public is always welcome to visit Equine Angels Rescue.
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