LENOIR, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- A repeat offender has been charged with animal cruelty after a malnourished horse was found tied to a tree, according to Caldwell County Animal Care Enforcement.

Officers began investigating after receiving a tip that the suspect, Holden Miller, had a horse tied to a tree behind his house. When they arrived and made contact with the tenant, they found the horse tied to a tree about 70 yards behind the residence in a wooded area.

The horse was severely malnourished and, despite receiving medical care, died a few days later. Officers seized other animals from the property that same day, officials said. The condition of those animals is unknown.

According to officials, this is not the first time Miller has been arrested for animal cruelty. In April 2025, h

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