Butler County District Attorney Rich Goldinger is pulling the reins on two cases of animal abuse filed against horse owners.

Goldinger said one case has been withdrawn, another will be withdrawn soon, and “because of the obvious increase in these (horse) cases, I am going to form a committee to create a protocol in how to handle in these matters in the future.”

Formation of the committee already is in motion, and it would include representation from the horse owners as well as Equine Angels, the animal advocacy group that has raised some of the abuse allegations to prosecutors, Goldinger said.

Pam Vivirito, founder of Equine Angels, said she was aware of the decision to drop the cases and said it’s a letdown to her organization’s work.

Vivrito said this decision and the recent round of negative publicity, related in part to these cases, has the group pondering its future.

“I think Butler County as a whole would rather see neglected horses than enforce any charges,” Vivirito said. “We cannot do this alone, nor do I want to. There’s a major injustice happening here.”

The criminal case already withdrawn involved three dozen charges of animal cruelty against 49-year-old Brian Arendosh of Fairview Township, according to Goldinger.

The charges were related to six horses — two paint horses, two quarter horses and two thoroughbreds — that Arendosh had surrendered in March to Equine Angels.

Representatives of the equine group and a state trooper claimed the horses had been abused. But Arendosh defended his care of the animals, saying they were properly housed, fed and watered.

Arendosh on Thursday said no one had told him the citations had been withdrawn, and he will defer comment until he could confirm that.

Of his decision on Arendosh’s case, Goldinger would say only, “In the interest in justice and using our prosecutorial discretion, we withdrew the citations.”

In a second case, citations still are pending against Gerry J. Geibel, 22, of Summit Township. However, Goldinger said he will withdraw that case soon.

Geibel faces six counts of animal cruelty for allegedly failing to provide adequate shelter for some of his horses. Authorities said Geibel is responsible for tending to 12 to 14 horses in a barn that his family owns about one-half mile from their home on Osche Road.

The citations state police filed represent six of the horses — a 4-year-old mare, a 2-year-old filly, a 5- to 7-year-old gelding, a 4-year-old stud, a 7-month-old foal and an 8- to 9-year-old mare, according to court documents.

Of his decision on this case, Goldinger said, “The horse owners were given an opportunity to correct the problem, and they complied. We had an agreement that the citations would be withdrawn if they complied.”

Geibel could not be reached for comment.

Butler attorney Alexander Lindsay, who represents both Arendosh and Geibel, declined to comment, saying he had not received direct confirmation from the district attorney’s office on either case.

Lindsay also represents the two men as well as three other horse owners in a lawsuit that alleges Equine Angels Rescue and Vivirito maliciously took their horses and harmed their reputations to get publicity and to generate donations.

The lawsuit, filed in Butler County Court, asks the courts to return the horses to the plaintiffs.

Vivirito, who has consistently defended her actions, said since the “bashing” of her organization began, donations have dropped dramatically, and the group cannot continue to feed and care for the 50 horses in its care without substantial, sustained donations.

Vivirito said if the nonprofit group does choose to close, it will first stop accepting new animals.

“It would be a process,” Vivirito said. “I started this to help. Since we began (in 2010) we have saved more than 150 horses. It’s sad that this might have to come to an end, but if it does, it’s because we just can’t do this without the support of the state (in prosecuting the cases) or donations.

“(Meantime) The DA’s office needs to figure out where to keep the 10 horses that are in my barn because they were seized by prosecutors.

“If they aren’t going to support me with prosecution, I don’t want to support them. They may as well take theses horses and keep them at the courthouse.”