69 Horses Seized And Marion County Equine Rescue Owners Charged With Animal Cruelty

A supposed sanctuary for horses turned into a house of horrors in Ocala.

On Monday, April 13, 2026, Marion County Sheriff’s deputies officially arrested the owners of Happy Valley Horse Rescue following a grueling months-long investigation into systematic animal neglect.

David Palacio, 57, and Janine Chaux, 58, now face a mountain of legal trouble.

The pair has been slapped with 22 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 16 counts of animal cruelty.

The arrests follow a massive raid back in November 2025, where authorities were forced to step in and save nearly 70 horses from the property.

Detectives first arrived at the facility on NW 95th Avenue Road after tips poured in about the animals' deteriorating health.

What they found was heartbreaking. Most of the horses were severely underweight, with their bones visible through their skin and their hooves in a state of rot.

The conditions inside the barn were even worse.

Stalls had not been cleared of feces and soiled bedding for an extended period, forcing the animals to stand in filth.

In total, deputies seized 69 horses from the rescue and discovered 17 more neglected horses on a neighboring property also managed by the couple.

Veterinary experts classified 20 of the horses at the most extreme level of emaciation.

Sadly, two horses were in such horrific condition that they had to be euthanized on the spot.

Both Palacio and Chaux were booked into the Marion County Jail on Monday, with bond set at $71,000 each. The "Horse Capital of the World" is now watching closely as this rescue-turned-nightmare heads to court.