While a horse auction got underway inside the MSU Pavillion, outside a peaceful protest was just beginning.

"It's a total miscarriage of justice. Men are getting tried, and their horses are getting auctioned, and they haven't even been convicted yet."

Protestor Jered Brown is referring to the case of James Henderson, Jr. and Matthew Mercier. Both men are charged with three counts of felony animal torture each. In March, Jackson County Animal Control seized 69 of their horses from Turn Three Ranch in Grass Lake. Authorities estimated the animals had not been fed or watered since last fall.

"If the animal control thought that they had a problem, they should have come in and worked with the gentlemen and said, this is what we want you to do."

Melissa Adams owns horses of her own. She says she got involved with the protest after the first group of horses was auctioned off in September.

"I know that the horses at the auction, I have talked to vets who have done fecal counts on these horses and found that they were wormy," she says. "And to me if you're rescuing horses, it is coming on you to make sure these horses are healthy."

Brown decided to protest after the first auction as well, because, he says, the condition of the horses worsened after Animal Control took over.

"You could see the condition that their ribs are showing. You can see the spine line. His feet, there's damage to his feet. This picture was taken three weeks after we purchased him. You can see, you can't see the rib lines anymore. He looks healthier. His feet look good."

On Sunday, the last of the horses was up for auction. In total 84 were sold. That number includes the foals born after the seizure. News 10 contacted Jackson County Animal Control, but they declined to do an on-camera interview.