Thursday, December 17, 2009

NELSON COUNTY, KY DECEMBER 2009



Rescue team says starving horses were on public official's property

by Gene Kang
Posted on December 16, 2009 at 8:15 PM

A horse rescue team in Nelson County claims a public official had dozens of starved horses on his property for weeks.

And it all started when Harris Horse Rescue emailed WHAS11 a YouTube video of roughly 20 horses in Bloomfield Kentucky, some malnourished and looking very thin.

"They were in horrible condition and with them being that emaciated and visibly being sick it was life-threatening to every horse on this lot," said Charlene Harris, Harris Horse Rescue.

"You don't see it and don't think about it unless those videos got out and saw what was really happening. A lot more people got involved," said Lisa McCullough, who captured the YouTube video.

Problem is, Harris Horse Rescue in Nelson County says the lot at the 3200 block of Wilkerson Road belongs to their County Magistrate, Jerry Hahn.

So, when WHAS11’s Gene Kang drove out to Nelson County and showed up at the Magistrate's lot, he found that all the horses are missing, nowhere to be found.

So where are all the horses?

A shock to Harris who claims they were there just Tuesday night, she says these pictures and video links started pouring into her rescue the past weeks.

Harris tells us the magistrate never returned her phone calls trying to alert him of the dire conditions.

"These horses being as emaciated as they were, they will end up going to slaughter, slaughter-bound to Canada," said Harris.

Hahn was outspoken and exclaims he has nothing to hide.
In fact, he showed us his own horses just down the street from the lot.

Hahn says the starved horses in the YouTube video were from a stockyard and claims he was only keeping them for an associate in Hardin County where they've returned. He says he was trying to nurse the horses back to health after getting them from a sale barn and has since taken them back.

"All I was doing was trying to save the horses lives. That's all I was doing," said Hahn.
"I talked to our county judge and everything I talked to them in Frankfort. I wasn't doing anything wrong."

"It's sickening that anyone can get away with this let alone an elected official. He should've been setting an example for everyone else," said Harris.

The Harris Horse Rescue says officials in Nelson County never took legal action against Magistrate Hahn despite knowing about the situation.



WHAS11

Related You Tube videos:

Video #1

Video #2

Video #3

Magistrate Jerry Hahn is not an unfamiliar name on our blog.
Crescini (case posted previously) starved his horses across the street from the property of Jerry Hahn's. Publically Hahn admitted to taking two of Crescini's emaciated horses into his care, however neither those two nor the remaining Crescini horses were ever heard of again.
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Thursday, August 13, 2009

BOYLE COUNTY, KY AUGUST



10 malnourished horses found in Boyle

By Greg Kocher - gkocher1@herald-leader.com

Kentucky State Police are investigating the case of 10 malnourished horses that were found Monday in Boyle County.
The horses were seized and taken to sites inside and outside Boyle County, said Dan Turcea, director of Boyle County Animal Control.

No one had been charged as of Wednesday afternoon, Turcea said.

State police received a tip that the horses were in a barn at 3316 Gentry Lane, north of Danville, Turcea said. "They were in really poor condition," Turcea said. "They were extremely emaciated. They were feces-covered. Their hooves were in terrible condition. Some of them may have skin problems due to their filth."

The horses were in the stalls of a barn. "They did have fans blowing on them. ...And these stalls had obviously not been mucked out, I would say, in months," Turcea said.
The stalls had 18 inches of horse manure in them, Turcea said. The animals had apparently received water.

The horses, ranging in age from 1 to 16 years old, are owned by people in Texas, North Carolina, Boyle County and Bardstown, Turcea said.

"The trooper and I have been in contact with these people," he said.

kentucky.com

09/10/2009 UPDATE

Danville man to be arraigned on animal-cruelty charges:

A Danville man is scheduled to be arraigned later this month on charges that he failed to provide adequate food, water and care for 10 horses.

James T. Lancaster, 65, was charged in late August with 10 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals. The horses were seized Aug. 10 after Kentucky State Police received a tip about starving animals in a barn on Gentry Lane north of Danville.

After examination by veterinarians, the emaciated horses were found to be suffering severe malnutrition, according to court documents. The equine body condition scores of the 10 animals were 1 and 2, with the highest possible score being 10, court records said.

The horses were owned by others but were in Lancaster's care. They were moved elsewhere after being seized by animal control officers.

Lancaster is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 22 in Boyle District Court in Danville. He is free on $2,000 bond.

kentucky.com


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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

MERCER COUNTY, KY JUNE 2009


Mercer Co. Horse Owner Faces Animal Cruelty Charges

June 22, 2009




A Mercer County man faces cruelty to animal charges after some horses were taken off his property.

Police say concerned neighbors alerted them about the horses, who were located on a farm on Curry Pike in Harrodsburg.

According to a criminal complaint, the horses belong to James "Les" Pease, a local developer who is now charged with cruelty to animals.

In all, 14 horses were seized from the farm and are now in a rescue being nursed back to health.

Pease had a summons to appear in Mercer district court Monday.
His attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Pease is due back in court July 28 for a pre-trial hearing.

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

LARUE COUNTY, KY March 2009
































Upton, KY


Saddlebred Farm Jack Ward


This case has been reported to the State Police, however no actions have been taken.

The mares in the right picture are emaciated and pregnant.

Phone calls and e-mails to Kentucky State Police Post 4 have not been replied to.


Update:


It has recently come to our attention, that the owner of the emaciated horses (Jack Ward) is the father of Captain Ward of State Police Post #4.


As of 04/26/2009 horses are still in deplorable conditions. Pictures taken on that date:
























Update 07/16/2009:
We checked on the horses and they are currently in good condition.

The pasture has grass and the owner has round bales in storage.


Speak Up For Horses conducted their training program "How To Recognize Horse Neglect And Abuse" in Hodgenville today and Post #4 of the State Police (Captain Ward's ditrict) sent one of their deputies to attend.

We will continue to monitor the situation.


Update August 2009:


The owner of the horses passed away.

Steps are currently being taken to place these horses into new homes.

BATH COUNTY, KY March 2009

Friday, Mar. 27, 2009

Lexington man charged in animal cruelty case
Herald-Leader staff report

A Lexington man has been charged with second-degree cruelty to animals for allegedly not caring properly for about 60 horses on a Bath County farm.

Kentucky state police said that Tom Browning, 69, was lodged in the Montgomery County Detention Center on the misdemeanor charge on Friday after turning himself in to authorities.

Browning is accused of not been feeding the horses, which led to the deaths of some of the animals. The farm is located south of Salt Lick.

Seven horses were found dead on the property.

The Bath County Outlook reported that these horses are "nurse mares".
Nurse mares are bred to a stud to impregnate them. Upon foaling the mare is stripped from its young and taken to a thoroughbred horse farm to foster high priced foals while their mothers are sent to be re-bred.
The nurse mare foals are a bi-product of this industry; some find homes through rescues who are able to take them in, other aren't as lucky.

Morehead News


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And so he got a slap on the hand:

Man accused of starving horses in court

A Lexington man accused of starving horses on a farm he leased near Salt Lick, in March 2009, had his charges placed on a pre-trial diversion and they will be removed from his record in two years if he follows the conditions of his pre-trial diversion order.

Veteran Kentucky State Police Trooper, Sam Hunt, arrested Tom Browning, 69, on March 27, 2009, following an investigation into horses allegedly starving to death at 2806 South Highway 211 (Mc-Clain Cemetery Road), located near Salt Lick.

Browning entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment on the charge, which was held in the weeks following his arrest.

Browning and his attorney, Honorable Michael Campbell, of Morehead, signed a pre-trial diversion order last week, on June 15.

Bath District Judge, Honorable Don Blair also signed the order.

There are several conditions that Browning must meet and adhere to in the next two years or the court may revoke or modify any conditions and/or reinstate the case for trial if Browning violates any of the conditions, according to court records.

Those conditions include:

Providing adequate feed, water and salt, for his horses on any property that he owns or leases in Bath County.

Browning will allow Nancy Gauze to check on the horses, twice a week, which he keeps at the Pergram Farm, where the alleged cruelty charges originated.

Browning will keep all sale bills and receipts from public stockyards to prove to the court evidence of when and where he obtains horses that he keeps in Bath County.

Browning must come to Bath County within four hours of any report of any horse being in distress and provide appropriate care for the endangered horse.

Browning will provide the Bath County Attorney with phone numbers to contact either he or his wife.

The Commonwealth has the right to have a veterinarian come to any farm on which Browning has horses in Bath County to check upon the horses and Browning must pay for any treatment that is rendered.

Browning, who lists his home address as being in the community of Stamping Grounds, near Lexington, has had run ins with the law in the past, in regard to animal problems, according to court documents. He has been charged with dogs running at large in Fayette County, in July 2007, and was charged with cattle running at large also in Fayette County in 2004, according to court documents.

Browning told Trooper Hunt on March 23, that he only had 30 horses on the McClain Cemetery Road property, but Trooper Hunt counted and

photographed 60 horses, according to court documents.

Trooper Hunt also noted on his complaint that he counted 17 rolled bales of hay in a barn.

For the next three days Trooper Hunt returned to the farm and the 17 rolled bales of hay were still in the barn and had not been fed to the horses, some of which allegedly became so hungry they began to eat on the carcasses of the dead horses that lay in the field, and which neighbors believed to have perished from starvation.

Hunt noted that there was no pasture available for the horses to feed on and there hadn't been any available since fall of 2008.

Browning posted $250 and was released from jail the same day he was arrested. As part of his bond conditions he had to provide Bath County Judge-Executive Carolyn Belcher with a feeding schedule and location of food.

"Mr. Browning does now appear to be feeding the horses, " Belcher said last year. Belcher said the Bath Animal Control Officer was closely monitoring the situation until its resolution in Bath District Court.
smalltownnews

BRECKENRIDGE COUNTY, KY February 2009



Guston woman gets 17 counts animal cruelty
by Laura SaylorEditorwrite the author
February 27, 2009BRECKINRIDGE CO.

A Guston woman was charged with 17 counts of cruelty to animals 2nd degree when nine horses were found starved to death on her rented farm.

Breckinridge County Sheriff Todd Pate said Glenda A. Wright, 51, has a Guston address though the farmland she rents on Bewleyville-Rosetta Road fell under Breckinridge County jurisdiction.

Pate said animal control officer Mike Picente received calls about animals not being taken care of on Wright's property. Pate, Picente, and two veterinarians went out to the farm earlier this month where there were roughly 40 horses.Pate said nine of those horses were emaciated to the point of death, and eight others were in dire need of medical care.

Wright was arraigned in district court Feb. 10. Pate said she is presently out on bond, and a trial is slated for April 17.

Pate said he had been alerted of mistreatment of animals at Wright's farm before, but during a prior investigation the physical condition of the animals at that time didn't warrant charges of animal cruelty.

He said staff members of Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Irvington, Ky., are caring for the horses at the farm.

NEWS

Update:

The trial is scheduled for May of 2009.
So far Glenda Wright has refused to relinquish ownership of any of these animals.
Studs are still running loose on the property with mares. Two foals have been born since charges were brought against Wright, several other mares are due to foal at any time.


We would like to thank the staff at Braodbent Wildlife Sanctuary for donating their time and feeding the animals every day.


Update:

Jury trial on 05/08/09 found Glenda Wright guilty on all 17 counts of animal cruelty and one count of improper disposal. She was sentenced to one year on each count, however they must run concurrently for a total of 12 months.


Update:

The second week of June, Glenda Wright was given shock probation with the condition that she disperse the horses within 30 days. She can keep 5 horses either geldings or mares but cannot breed anything for 2 years.

Obviously this is a bad decision on the judge's part. Someone who is responsible for the death of 11 horses should not be allowed to continue to own any.

Were any stipulations made in regard to the dispersal of her horses?

Since this case was first made public ten foals have entered this world. Additional birth are expected as of June 17th, 2009.

Update 07/16/2009:

Glenda Wright appeared before the Judge today to discuss the dispersal of her horses. She conducted herself in an inappropriate manner and was returned to jail.

The number of horses on her property still exceed the number she was ordered to reduce her herd to by today's court appearance.




Update October 2009:

Glenda Wright was given several more opportunities to re-home her horses, but still hasn't done so. October 13th, at another court hearing, she filed a complaint against the lawyer who represented her earlier. The court appointed a new lawyer and has given her yet another continuance until October 27th.

In the meantime several foals were either stillborn or died shortly after birth and the stallions continue to run at large with the remaining horses.

Update Thanksgiving 2009:

Glenda Wright's property was foreclosed on and sold to a local business man. The new owner wanted the horses removed fom his property. Since Glenda Wright did not comply, the county gave order to have the sheriff remove the animals and Glenda Wright was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Now property of the county, the sheriff made arrangements to have them shippped to a local auction (run by a KY killbuyer/trader) to be run through on Saturday November 28, 2009.

After many phone calls and a final plea to the Judge Executive of Breckenridge County, we were able to have the horses signed over to Speak Up For Horses.

They have since arrived at our safe location in Northern Kentucky.

Thank you Judge Powers!

FOX19 Part 1

FOX19 Part 2


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