Three seized animals find new homes

FORT COLLINS - The majority of animals seized from the Animal Angels Horse Rescue returned to their foster homes after a Monday night adopt-a-thon attempt.

Of the approximately 26 animals available for adoption, only three went to new homes.

Some potential animal owners were frustrated with the way Alesha Matchett, the rescue owner, handled the adopt-a-thon. Matchett left several animals at her rescue and told some interested patrons that some animals were not available for adoption.

"She was supposed to bring all her animals, and she didn't bring any of them," Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said.

Matchett was in charge of the adoption and got to decide who could adopt the animals.

"The whole reason we took them in the first place is to get them in a better situation," Alderden said.

Fees collected from the adoptions went to the Larimer County Courts system, said Rita Servin, investigator for the sheriff's office. A judge will decide what happens to that money Tuesday.

Matchett said she could not bring the animals from her rescue to the adopt-a-thon because her trailer had a flat tire. She encouraged people interested in adopting them to visit her rescue.

She also said she had adopted out more than 10 animals at her rescue in the past few weeks.

Approximately nine of the animals at the adopt-a-thon were not up for adoption because Matchett said they were "her pets."

"These animals were seized from me," she said.

Deborah Davidson, who drove from Bennett to see the animals, questioned Matchett about six of the smaller animals.

"She definitely wasn't going to get rid of those little ones," Davidson said.

Davidson said she couldn't comment on Matchett's willingness to adopt out the animals because she didn't ask her about any of the horses.

Erinn Cikowski of Arvada said she didn't have a problem with Matchett's adoption process as she stood in front of her newly adopted horse, Sephera.

"She really checked everything out, which was great," Cikowski said.

Matchett also expressed concern about the condition of the animals, saying they looked worse now than they did when they were taken from her rescue.

"Some of their hair is falling out," she said. "I am beyond upset right now."

The sheriff's office and Larimer Humane Society officials are under a gag order and could not discuss the condition of the animals until Matchett is tried. She has been charged with four counts of animal abuse but might face additional charges pending further investigation.

A court hearing will decide the disposition of the animals seized by the sheriff's office.