LOVELAND — Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden believes that Alesha Matchett has a big heart, but that she probably took on too much with her sprawling animal-rescue ranch in Larimer County.
When law-enforcement officials got to her Animal Angels Horse Rescue, they said horses, llamas and even a potbellied pig were severely underweight, their food quality poor and their water frozen.
“I think her motives were pure in trying to rescue these animals,” Alderden said. “But it takes a lot of work I suspect that has more to do with this.”
Sheriff’s deputies and Humane Society officials took 27 animals from Matchett’s property early Saturday, saying many of them were not properly cared for and were “in distress.”
Matchett believes she is victim of a witch hunt sparked by the owner of another horse-rescue operation — someone Matchett had considered a friend.
The initial tip to authorities came from Margaret DeSarno, who runs Colorado Thoroughbred Rescue. DeSarno ran into Matchett at the grocery store a few weeks ago, and she said Matchett confided she was unable to keep the animals from starving.
In the following days, DeSarno took three horses from Matchett’s property. She said she had permission from Matchett to find them help.
And Saturday afternoon, as police officials outlined misdemeanor animal cruelty charges they were planning to file against Matchett, she silently wept while attending a news briefing.
“I don’t rescue the healthy animals,” she said, wearing dark sunglasses inside a barn at the Larimer County Events Center.
Her horses, ponies and donkeys, in the custody of Larimer County officials, were wailing in pens behind her.
“I rescue the animals that are the sickest, the ones that need me,” she said. “I can go through every single one of these cages and tell you the story of these animals.”
Matchett said she has struggled financially to keep the operation afloat, but that the animals always had food and shelter. Matchett and her 9-year-old son pick out ice from the water troughs three times a day when it’s this cold.
Matchett, who started her horse-rescue operation in 2002, said she always worked with county officials when they came to her house. “They didn’t take time to put the case together; they witch-hunted and they took me down,” she said.
County officials said that Matchett has had enough time to nurse her animals to a proper weight. The Humane Society had received complaints about the ranch twice earlier this year.
Officials said they are watching 39 more animals on Matchett’s property that were on the cusp of malnourishment.
“This is what you call hoarding. You love them all, and you want to save the world and take them all in,” said DeSarno, who said she has cooperated with Larimer officials in the investigation. “But that doesn’t work.”
Allison Sherry: 303-954-1377 or asherry@denverpost.com
