The farm of horrors: Maryland sheriff discovers 25 dead horses, who were so desperate for food that they ate aluminum siding off the house ( 3 Pics)

Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said Friday he was stunned by what he discovered at a farm where more than two dozen horses were found dead, including a foal lying just a few feet from the front doorstep of the owner's home.

"She told me it was born two weeks ago," said Lewis of Barbara L. Pilchard. "She said she tried to nurture it to survive; it only lived 4.5 hours before it died. She said she dragged it near her front steps, where it's been decaying for two weeks."

The sheriff's office, in conjunction with Wicomico County Animal Control, launched an investigation Friday into the discovery of more than two dozen dead horses on Cherry Walk Road in Quantico.

Investigators found more than 25 dead horses on the 2.13-acre property, which is owned by Clayton P. and Barbara L. Pilchard, according to Maryland property records.

The investigation is ongoing into what caused the deaths of these horses and how long they have been there. The remains were in various states of decay, according to the sheriff's office.

"We've been called here numerous times to the property," said Lewis. "But the overall majority of times it was because the horses were loose, either walking in the road or in neighbors' yards eating flowers and anything green."

Lewis said the sheriff's department has had experts out at the Cherry Walk Road property on one previous occasion to investigate possible animal neglect.

"We had experts on horses who said they believed the horses were being properly cared for and receiving the care necessary to live," Lewis said. "We had insufficient evidence to charge the property owner with animal neglect. The condition of both the horses and the property looked unacceptable to us, but we had insufficient evidence."

Lewis also said Lt. Tim Robinson and Chief Deputy Gary Baker recall that in 1995, more than 200 cats were removed from the same property and the owner, Barbara Pilchard, was charged with 100 counts of animal neglect.

"All charges were stetted (made inactive) by courts," Lewis said. "What I saw today was absolutely shocking, horrendous. I am an animal lover and to see 20 to 25 horses in various stages of decomposition is shocking, you can't believe what you are seeing."

Lewis said Pilchard told him she sees nothing wrong with the horse carcasses lying out in a field decaying. 

"She told me she had every right by state law to allow the animals to decompose," said Lewis, who said she was allowing vultures to descend onto carcasses and pick them to the bone.