BROWN COUNTY — A civil case hearing involving the owner of a rural Sleepy Eye farm where seven horses and three donkeys were seized Nov. 23 continued on Tuesday using remote technology in Brown County District Court.

The Brown County Sheriff’s Office seized the animals from Sapphire Equestrian Farms, 26731 315th Avenue, just east of Evan. The farm is owned by Candi Lemarr.

According to a notice of seizure Minnesota Animal Law Chapter 343, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed in Brown County District Court Dec. 1, the animals were seized because they were malnourished, undernourished and lacking adequate feed.

The animals are being held at the Minnesota Hooved Animal Reserve in Zimmerman. Lemarr is contesting the seizure.

At a Dec. 18 hearing, Lemarr said she was told by Brown County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jeremy Reed she could sign the horses over or he he’d take them away.

Lemarr said she needed the horses for her riding program.

The seizure notice read that Lemarr could voluntarily release the animals, request a hearing concerning the seizure or impoundment of the animals. If the animals were not voluntarily released, a hearing could be requested.

In addition, the notice read that Minnesota statues authorize authorities to investigate any alleged violation of the law relative to cruelty of animals. It is also the duty of officers to take possession of any animals in their respective jurisdictions which have been cruelly treated, and deliver them to proper officers of the county or district for custody and care.

At the Tuesday hearing, Brown County Deputy County Attorney Andrea Lieser introduced an email to Sioux Trails Mental Health Center therapist Sandy Walsh that read “my lawyer needs my depression stuff because he’s got to prove me under duress, which made me not capable of signing the paperwork. When the vet said I just couldn’t see how sick my horses were, it caused my head to start spinning…I kept telling her I didn’t know what I was signing.”

Lemarr said when the vet talked to her, “it made me go back to when my daughter was born. She was pink. She stayed with me overnight and turned purple. I thought my brain was playing tricks on me,” her voice fading, before she began crying.

Lieser showed a form, she said was a receipt that Lemarr signed, that read “Surrender and Release Form” from the Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation, dated Nov. 23, 2020.

“This was your receipt,” Lieser said.

At that point, Lemarr’s Mankato attorney, James J. Kuettner, said he wanted to show a 19-minute video but the allotted hearing time was about to end.

A third hearing in the case was set for 2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 31.

(Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).