Herd of horses continually breaking out, roaming free on streets of Richfield

RICHFIELD, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Richfield residents say a group of horses wandering roads and running through their yards has become an all too common occurrence in their neighborhood.

The horses, a mule and a baby donkey named Bob keep escaping Danah Zoulek’s fence. Zoulek says she has been cited for "animal at large" approximately 70 times.

“I had them Friday night, during the storm,” said neighbor Lori Hoffmann, who also owns animals and sometimes puts the wandering herd in her fenced in area when they come by her house.

Neighbors say the road they escape to, Scenic Road, is very busy -- with hills that limit visibility.

“We need this issue resolved before someone gets injured or dies," Hoffmann said.

The animals caused a flurry of 911 calls during a storm on Friday when they allegedly made their way to the railroad tracks.

“There’s horses in the god **** road for Christ sake,” one caller said.

Zoulek says she’s made neighborhood enemies through land disputes and purchasing a local quarry, as part of a project to help her fellow veterans.

“I know for a fact, somebody has been tampering with my fencing,” Zoulek said.

She’s already had to find new homes for her goats and chickens, which also routinely got lost.

Zoulek says she doesn’t have the resources to build a sturdy enough fence for the horses.

“I just hope they stop," Zoulek said. "Because it’s not fair to the animals, or to the community.”

Zoulek takes responsibility for the issues, and says she is looking to downsize her herd. She is in the process of finding new homes for a majority of her horses, but says she will not get rid of Bob.