The Brief

RIO VERDE, Ariz. - Dozens of exotic animals that were taken during a raid are being returned to their rightful owner. It comes after two days of testimony, including investigators, veterinarians, animal advocates and the owner, Ben Alvarez, and a judge’s decision that the animals were not neglected or abused.

What we know:

Roughly 50 animals, including horses, goats, camels, and zebras, were taken off of a property in the Rio Verde area, northeast of the Valley, in August.

It happened after a handful of reports disclosed that there wasn’t enough water on site.

The backstory:

During the initial raid in early August , 25 horses, a zebra, two camels, peacocks, about 20 goats, a bull, and a cockatoo were seized. The Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan described the sce

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