Reports of animal abuse, or at least allegations of inhumane or improper treatment of horses, have been making news in Butler County in recent months.

There is broad support for ensuring that horses are treated humanely, but some of the recent cases have raised questions of legal authority, due process and what’s best for the horses.

Beyond those issues, many people will agree that judging the level of care or the overall condition of a horse includes some element of subjectivity. Not every case will produce agreement, even among experts.

For these reasons, Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger is doing the right thing in forming a committee to study the horse abuse issue and develop a protocol for handling future cases.

The issue has been brought to a head by a recent lawsuit filed by defendants in five cases of animal cruelty that were triggered by Equine Angels Rescue, a horse rescue group, working with a state police officer trained in animal abuse cases. The lawsuit alleges Equine Angels took improper or illegal actions and misrepresented the conditions of the horses.

When announcing the creation of a study committee last week, Goldinger also said he was dropping charges in two of the cases brought to county officials by Equine Angels.

A lawsuit is one way to handle cases of alleged mistreatment of horses and what legal powers — or legal limitations — might apply to Equine Angels, but it’s not the best way. Goldinger’s plan to have a committee study the issue and develop a protocol to be followed in future cases of allegations of mistreatment of horses is a better way to minimize future problems.

By putting together a group including horse owners, representatives from animal protection groups, veterinarians and legal experts, the county can establish a system that’s fair to all parties involved whenever someone alleges mistreatment of horses.

Doing what’s best for the horses should be the top priority. In some cases, that might mean that Equine Angels or another group could offer assistance and education — along with a warning — before filing criminal charges and taking horses from an owner. In those cases, a remedial action plan might be agreed to and the animal protection group, along with a volunteer veterinarian, might return for several unannounced visits to ensure that the horses are being provided better care or feeding.

In severe cases, confiscation might be the best course of action, but there should be a legal protocol, including a determination by county officials that removal of the animals is necessary — and done properly.

Noting what she sees as a lack of local support, Pam Vivirito, founder of Equine Angels, said, “I think Butler County as a whole would rather see neglected horses than enforce any charges.”

That’s not true. People in Butler County do not want to see abused horses, but they probably do want to see a balanced system with accountability.

In some cases, true animal abuse or neglect might be happening. In other cases, it’s possible some horse owners haven’t realized all that’s necessary to properly care for and feed a horse. It’s also possible that owners might be overwhelmed when it comes to the work involved in caring for their horses or the cost of properly feeding and caring for horses.

Developing a protocol that keeps the horse’s health a top priority might involve temporary assistance from other horse owners or plans to correct substandard care before criminal charges are filed and horses are confiscated.

Butler County does care about horses and Goldinger’s committee effort should produce a better system for handling these cases than what’s in place now.