Five horses recently died in Clark after their owner apparently failed to properly feed them, according to the Park County Sheriff’s Office.

On Thursday morning, the Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip that there were dead horses on a property on Crossfire Trail.

The 39-year-old man who owns the animals later spoke with the deputy and “admitted to financially being unable to care for the horses and that he realized some of them had died due to a lack of feed,” the release said.

The man said he’d been trying to get rid of the animals for some time — claiming he’d put an ad in a newspaper and tried contacting a local rescue organization — and hadn’t had any luck, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

The Sheriff’s Office said it turned the case over to the Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which will determine whether criminal charges are appropriate. The six remaining horses, meanwhile, have been turned over to suitable caretakers, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Owners who are unable to care for their livestock can always contact the Wyoming Livestock Board, said Park County Sheriff Scott Steward in the release.

“In these hardship situations, the Livestock Board can assist livestock owners in finding suitable caretakers or buyers, as long as the current owner can prove ownership,” Steward said. “If not, in extreme cases the Board will seize the animals as estrays.”