Sheriff’s deputies arrested the owners of Happy Valley Horse Rescue in Ocala on Monday following an investigation into allegations of animal cruelty.
Marion County Sheriff’s officers have accused David Palacio, 57, and Janine Chaux, 58, with 22 counts of aggravated animal abuse and 16 counts of animal cruelty.
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Detectives began the investigation in November 2025 after receiving reports of neglected horses at 4250 NW 95th Avenue Road in Ocala.
While viewing the property, police discovered that the majority of the horses at Happy Valley Horse Rescue were underweight, with visible bones and hooves in terrible condition.
They further claim that the barn’s stalls had not been cleaned of feces and filthy bedding in a long time.
On November 5, 2025, deputies apprehended 69 horses during the rescue. Simultaneously, they found 17 more neglected horses on the adjacent property, also under the care of the rescue owners.
Veterinarians inspected the horses and discovered that 20 of them were very emaciated, while another 16 were quite underweight. Two horses were euthanized because their condition was deemed too terrible to survive.
Palacio and Chaux were booked into Marion County Jail on Monday. As of this report, each was being held on a bail of $71,000.
