Scottsdale residents concerned about safety of roaming horses

The horses belong to rancher George Williams and sometimes get past broken fence posts and wander away from his Pinnacle Peak Ranch.

Some neighbors in Rio Verde Foothills and north Scottsdale know Williams' livestock and call him so he can round up the loose horses or cattle.

Others say the animals don't look too good and appear malnourished.

Tom Norris, who has lived in Desert Summit for six years, said the horses that wander past the back of his home do not upset him. "What bothers me is that the horses are not taken care of," Norris said. "They're hungry, they're skinny, they're thirsty. We're used to seeing them around."

People in Desert Summit and Desert Views Four Peaks see the animals grazing on their properties, walking down the street, hanging out in the shade or leaving piles of manure. "They're in the street, on the front lawns or wherever they want to go," said Hank Eckerd, property manager and resident of Desert Views Four Peaks. "I've gotten a couple of calls, mostly about the (manure) mess," Eckerd said.

Since January, the Arizona Department of Agriculture has answered 11 calls about Williams' animals. Mostly all of them are complaints from callers upset about horses eating their shrubs.

Williams has no record of animal cruelty, said Agriculture Department spokesman Ed Hermes.