CITRA, Fla. — A Citra woman, Isabella Rose Medina, has been arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty after authorities found a severely malnourished horse on her property.
On July 23, 2025, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an underweight horse named Bully, a 17-year-old Old Bay Thoroughbred Gelding, at Medina’s home. Deputies observed that Bully’s ribs, tailhead, and hip bones were prominently visible, signaling extreme malnutrition.
Medina admitted to owning the horse for about a year and claimed she had noticed recent weight loss. Despite his deteriorating condition, she failed to seek veterinary care, believing hay alone was sufficient—though she acknowledged not having any available.
On July 24, a search and seizure warrant was executed, and Bully was removed from the property and taken to the Agriculture Investigations farm for veterinary examination. The vet determined Bully had rain rot and rated his body condition score as 1, the lowest on the scale, indicating emaciation and loss of muscle mass.
Due to the extent of his suffering, the veterinarian recommended euthanasia, which was carried out to prevent further pain.
Investigators concluded that Medina knowingly deprived the horse of essential food and medical care, leading to her arrest for aggravated animal cruelty.
