www.SpeakUpForHorses.org

HOPKINS COUNTY, KY JULY 2011

2011-10-28T01:44:00.003-04:00

Possible horse cruelty case being investigated in Madisonville

MADISONVILLE, KY (WFIE) -
Authorities in Madisonville are investigating a possible animal neglect case. Investigators say they've received several complaints that some horses are being underfed, and need medical treatment.

Resident Hazel Fell received calls from friends complaining about the condition of a group of horses on a nearby farm.

Several weeks after, Fell went to the farm to check up on the horses condition. She saw no improvement, and took several photos. Fell then filed her own complaint to the humane society.

The horses are owned by Rob and Bonnie Ryder on a private farm off Randall Drive. Fell says the problem is that they live in Canada, and all responsibility to the horses is left to a caretaker.
It's unknown how much the horses are visited, but Fell says she's most upset that nothing was done before her complaint.

Humane society officials say they have been monitoring the situation. In fact, soon after the latest complaint, they sent a veterinarian out to check on the horses and meet with the caretaker. The caretaker now has 30 days to improve the health of the horses.

Humane society officials declined to speak while the investigation is ongoing, but stress the fact that they haven't ignored any complaints, and are working with law enforcement to resolve the issue.

Hopkins County Public Works officials say last month, they picked up one horse from that property that had died, but it's unclear what the cause of death was.

Humane society officials say plenty of food and hay have been donated to the horses while the investigation continues.

Officials say after the 30 days, they'll re-evaluate the condition of the horses, and if there are no improvements, disciplinary action will be taken.

WFIE

BATH COUNTY, KY JULY 2011

2011-07-22T10:49:00.003-04:00

Two men accused of dragging horse appear in court

Two men appeared in court Tuesday to face charges they dragged a horse.

Bath County Sheriff's deputies cited Jeffrey White and Jason Crouch for second-degree cruelty to animals.

Crouch's public defender entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday.

White will be arraigned later. He's now being held in the Montgomery County Jail on unrelated charges.

Investigators say White and Crouch tied the horse to the back of their car after White bought the animal, to get it to White's home.

Animal control officials took the five-year-old stallion to a farm, where they have named the horse Lucky.

The horse is now recovering.

If found guilty, Crouch and White could face up to a year in jail.

WKYT

Pre trial date set for November 15th: WKYT

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HARRISON COUNTY, KY April 2011

2011-04-29T11:30:00.004-04:00

Here we go again. After being charged in 2008 and ordered not to own any horses for two years, the Risners of Harrison County are at it again.

Officials question condition of horses

By Becky Barnes
Thursday, April 28, 2011 at 10:55 am

It’s been more than a year since court-ordered restrictions for having horses on their property expired, but more horses have been found in alleged poor condition at Dinah and Haskel Risner’s farm.

Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy Robert Peak said when he arrived at the Oddville-Sunrise Road farm Sunday afternoon he found two horses down, including one that was lying in the road.
“It had collapsed at the fence and slid under the fence, off of an earth embankment and into the road,” Peak said.

The other horse was on its side inside a 100-foot-by-50-foot lot.

Dinah Risner attributed the horses being unable to get up to the rainy, muddy conditions.
“There was no grass, no hay, no water, even with all the rain we’ve had there wasn’t even a puddle,” Peak said.

Peak was joined at the scene by the Kentucky State Police as well as an investigator from the Kentucky Veterinary Office with the Department of Agriculture and local veterinarian Dr. James Rice.

He said the veterinarians were able to get the horses on their feet. Hay and water were brought in and the animals were eating and drinking when officials left.

Peak said there were two other horses in the lot as well, and 15 on the property.
Tpr. Chris Gaby said the horses in the lot were obviously in poor condition.

Peak said the animals had patches of hair loss and open sores. Their ribs were palpable, they had lice and little to no flesh.

Peak said that charges against the Risners are pending.

The couple was charged in February 2008 on a case that was opened in 2007.
The Risners contended they were only trying to help rescue horses that had been neglected.
They would purchase the horses, then attempt to bring them to a healthy weight, Dinah Risner defended during the previous incident.

In a telephone interview Wednesday morning, Dinah said the horses were moved to that lot Sunday morning when they were given worm medicine. She added that the horses had only been in the lot for about two hours and had not intended to be left there for an extended period.
“They got down on account of the bad weather,” she said. “This muddy weather they just get down and get back up.”

She said the horses have since been turned out into a 20-acre field.

She said the horses were purchased at Paris Stockyards on March 19. One horse was given to the Risners free of charge. Two others were purchased for $2.50 each.

Cynthiana Democrat

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LINCOLN COUNTY, KY MARCH 2011

2011-04-10T08:21:00.010-04:00

HORSES LEFT UNATTENDED IN LINCOLN COUNTY

People who live along Spice Ridge Road in Lincoln County say nobody has been taking care of 40 to 50 horses for more than a month.

Neighbors describe the animals as malnourished and say that they wander around street. They complain nothing is being done to help. "There ain't nobody who wants to claim them, or take care of them, or feed them, or anything else, just letting them run wherever they want to," Jesse Turner said.

The Lincoln County Sheriff says the horses belong to Walter Smith, who used to own the property. Deputies say they have been in contact with Smith and are investigating the allegations.

LEX18

MERCER COUNTY, KY MARCH 2011

2011-03-08T19:13:00.006-05:00

March 5th, 2011

Man charged with felony animal cruelty in Mercer

HARRODSBURG

The leader of a Mercer County horse rescue operation was arrested Thursday on felony animal cruelty charges involving 30 horses.

Richard M. Banks, identified as head of Central Kentucky Equine Rescue, was charged with 30 counts of first-degree animal cruelty after Mercer County Animal Control Officer David Quinn III alerted the sheriff’s office that horses on Banks’ property off of Shakertown Road were poorly cared for.

According to a sheriff’s department press release, the horses were “being malnourished and neglected” and some were living in “dangerous conditions.”

It appeared that several of the animals had not been fed for an extended period of time, the press release stated.

A visit to the property Saturday morning found about 30 horses still on the premises.

The animals were divided into three pens, each with access to a large round bale of hay.

Mercer County Animal Shelter employees had fed the horses.

One mare with a foal appeared especially emaciated. Her hip bone protruded several inches from her body and all of her ribs were visible.

Banks did not answer a knock at his residence at 1626 Shakertown Road on Saturday.

He also has a residence in Stanford, police said. He could not be reached for comment.

Banks was arrested Thursday night and was released Friday from the Boyle County Detention Center after posting a $5,000 cash bond.

First-degree animal cruelty is a Class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison. Deputy Scott Elder is investigating. More charges and additional arrests are possible. Along with Elder, Sheriff Ernie Kelty and Deputy Sean Brown assisted at the scene.

AMNEWS.com

AMNEWS

WKYT

MASON COUNTY, KY JANUARY 2010

2010-01-20T18:27:00.004-05:00

N.Ky. Man Charged With 30 Counts Of Animal Cruelty

MASON CO., Ky. --

A Northern Kentucky horse owner is facing numerous charges after police say 30 neglected horses were found on his property.

Sheriff Patrick Boggs says George Jones, 63, is charged with 30 counts of cruelty to animals.

Jones is also facing six counts of failure to dispose carcasses.

Neighbors alerted sheriff deputies to Jones' farm located on Key Pike about four miles south of Maysville after seeing the carcasses from the roadway.

Mason County Sheriff Deputies were back out again on Wednesday. Neighbors called after driving by and seeing the bodies of six dead horses in the field. "Mr. Jones tells us he had somebody, a hired hand to take care of them. He says he's been in bad health himself. I don't believe economics is part of the problem here. I believe its just neglect of the animals," said Sheriff Patrick Boggs of Mason County. "There was no water out for the animals, very minimal water,” the Sheriff added. “There was hay on the farm and feed for the horses and donkeys on the farm, but was not made accessible to the animals."

The Sheriff says Jones is cooperating, allowing investigators with the Kentucky Department Of Agriculture onto his property Wednesday.

The farm also houses 150 other horses."We were out today, on the 20th, with the Department of Agriculture and Mr. Jones is taking the proper steps to remedy the situation as far as disposing of the carcasses and feeding the livestock," said Boggs.

The horses will remain on the property unless a judge orders them elsewhere.Jones is due to face a judge for the misdemeanor charges on Monday.

If convicted, he faces a fine and up to a year in jail.

WCPO

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NELSON COUNTY, KY DECEMBER 2009

2009-12-17T19:10:00.004-05:00

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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BOYLE COUNTY, KY AUGUST

2009-08-13T07:30:00.007-04:00

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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MERCER COUNTY, KY JUNE 2009

2009-06-23T18:54:00.015-04:00

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.

LEX.18

AssociatedContent

LARUE COUNTY, KY March 2009

2009-04-02T21:28:00.046-04:00

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

2009-04-02T21:26:00.003-04:00

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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BRECKENRIDGE COUNTY, KY February 2009

2009-04-02T20:57:00.030-04:00

Guston woman gets 17 counts animal cruelty
by Laura SaylorEditor write 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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HARLAN COUNTY, KY December 2008

2008-12-31T09:07:00.015-05:00

Horses Found Neglected, Owners Arrested

Reporter: Jeff AllenEmail Address: mailto:jeff.allen@wymtnews.com?subject=Horses

Horses Found Neglected, Owners Arrested

Several horses are found neglected, others missing, and one even dead. It is a case of animal abuse in Harlan County that landed two people behind bars and several others are facing charges.

Members of the Harlan County Humane Society say they received a complaint on Christmas night that some horses in the Wallins Creek community were neglected. When they went to the property, they say they knew that had to take action.

The horses were living on a property on Camp Creek Road, but officials say it wasn't much of a home. "There was no hay, anything for these horses. They were in a small area and just fenced off. The only thing they did have was water. No shelter for any of these animals," said Marcella Chadwick, Harlan County Humane Society President.

"It's unbelievable, to see something like this, to see people let their animals starve like this," said Robert Duncan with the Harlan County Humane Society.

Humane society officials made a gruesome discovery when they found one horse already dead.
"It was laying out in the open in a culvert. They had laid some pine limbs over it, I guess to keep us from seeing it," Chadwick said.

On Monday, police arrested the animals' owners, Edwin and Diane Sullivan. They are the first arrests from a investigation by a humane society that's ramping up it's efforts.

"We're gonna do what we can do to make people pay for treating their animals this way," Chadwick said.

Three horses are missing, but officials believe they will be able to nurse most of the horses back to health. One of the five rescued may not survive.

"He was close to gone when we took him. I don't know if he's gonna pull through this or not. We're hoping and praying," Chadwick said.

Edwin and Diane Sullivan were arraigned on animal cruelty charges Tuesday but declined our request for an interview. Officials plan to charge several other people in the case.

Officials at the Harlan County Humane Society say they are in desperate need of food for the rescued horses.
To donate feed to the horses officials say were neglected in Harlan County, get in contact with the Home Federal Bank in Harlan. If you have information in the case, call Harlan County Humane Society President Marcella Chadwick at (606) 909-4781.

WYMT News

Kentucky.com

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EDMONSON COUNTY, KY AUGUST 2008

2008-09-24T12:36:00.007-04:00

Horse Abuse Discovered in Edmonson County

Posted: 7:14 PM Sep 23, 2008

Reporter: Daniel KempEmail Address: mailto:daniel.kemp@wbko.com?subject=Horse

Kentucky is known as horse country.

It's the home of the Kentucky Derby, where some of the most beautiful horses in the world race every year.

But some say horse abuse in the state is becoming more common everyday.

One Caneyville woman says many horse owners simply don't want their animals anymore, and now they're going mistreated.

And she should know, she's caring for one.

Keila Edwards got a call a little more than a month ago about a horse named Copy, who she rescued after learning he had been neglected and abused by his owner in Edmonson County.

"He was a horse standing there with four bullet holes in his neck, skin stretched over his neck, and she said, 'You can't leave him, you've got to help him,'" Edwards explained. "This isn't her first rescue.

Edwards has done it with three horses before.
"I can't see them suffer or be mistreated, or being done this way."

But she says Copy's case is a crime that isn't getting justice.
"I've sent photos and contacted the sheriff's office, but no one's ever called me back and until this day no one's called me back," Edwards said.

One veterinarian says horse abuse is a problem that just keeps growing, especially in rural areas.
"Some of them and a lot of of them are young horses that people bought because they wanted to have a horse, but don't know what to do with it," explained Manuela Mattingly, owner of Twin Lakes Animal Hospital in Leitchfield.

"They can't afford to feed them because hay and fertilizer has went up," Edwards added. "Proper hay is $40 to $50 a roll and the horses aren't worth anything, so people think, 'Why should I feed this when I could be feeding cattle?'"

Edwards says Copy's life didn't start like this.
He's a Saddlebred that's taken awards.
"This horse used to be in a show ring. He's got saddlepoints. I was told an eight-year-old girl used to show him," Edwards said.

Now, Copy's just trying to regain strength to maybe one day return to his old self.
"The infection's going down. He's getting his energy back. He's actually feeling like a horse again."

Sheriff Mike Vincent, with the Edmonson County Sheriff's Office, says the investigation regarding the previous owner of Copy, has been turned over to the Kentucky State Police.

WBKO

Update from WBKO

NELSON COUNTY, KY OCTOBER 2007

2008-09-16T08:29:00.007-04:00

Thoroughbred Trainer Pleads Guilty to Cruelty Charges
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by Blood-Horse Staff
Date Posted: 9/12/2008 2:39:01 PM
Last Updated: 9/13/2008 3:10:10 PM

A Kentucky-based trainer has pleaded guilty to 16 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals charges resulting from an October 2007 incident in Nelson County, Ky.

Joseph D. “J.D.” Crescini, who signed the guilty plea Sept. 9, faces a recommended sentence of one year in jail, with 11 months suspended, and court costs. His sentencing in Nelson County District Court is scheduled for Oct. 21.

The charges stemmed from an Oct. 12, 2007 investigation by Nelson County Animal Control and local law authorities, who claim they found two dead horses and 12 “severely” undernourished horses – most believed to be Thoroughbreds -- at a property on Plum Run Road.
Crescini claimed to own the horses, according to a Nelson County Sheriff Department report, but denied they were neglected.

The report claims Crescini told deputies Thoroughbreds are “supposed to be skinny,” and that they “used to be on steroids, and now that they aren’t, they are withering away.”

When contacted by telephone Sept. 12, Crescini declined comment to The Blood-Horse.

Attempts to reach county attorneys affiliated with the case weren’t immediately successful.

Of the two horses found dead, one was found in a stall, and another outside the stall. The sheriff’s report said both appeared “to have been there awhile, and the second one had lime put on it.”

It is believed Crescini has been training in and around the Midwest since the early 1970s. Since 1980, Crescini is credited with 29 wins in 293 career starts, including one win in 18 starts in 2008, according to equinline.com.

Bloodhorse

UPDATE:

On October 3rd, 2008 the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ruled a two year suspension of J.D. Crescini's trainer's license.

On October 8th, 2008 J.D. Crescini appealed the decision.

Ruling and Appeal

Animal Legal Defense Fund's Comment

KNOX COUNTY, KY SEPTEMBER 2008

2008-09-12T07:59:00.000-04:00

Neglected Dogs, Horses Found At Eastern Kentucky Home

Posted: 3:43 PM Sep 11, 2008

Neglected Animals Found At Home

They call it one of the worse cases of animal cruelty they've ever seen.

Animal control officials found several dogs and horses, some dead, others barely alive, outside a home.

The two people who live there now face several charges.
The gruesome discovery was made earlier this week at a home in the Jarvis community of Knox County.

While officials found several animals who were starving, they also found several dogs and horses who had already died.

The animals' remains were scattered throughout the property.

Many of the surviving animals had been tied up and were not able to get away.
24-year-old Earl Enlow and 22-year-old Melanie Rogers together face a total of 17 charges of animal cruelty.

Both have since bonded out of jail and have pleaded not guilty.
The animals taken from the property are now in the care of the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter.

WKYT

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LINCOLN COUNTY, KY MARCH 2008

2008-09-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

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Starving Horses in Lincoln Co. on Road to Recovery

Posted: 4:49 PM Apr 7,

They were found barely alive on a Lincoln County farm.
But two weeks later, some once starving horses are doing much better.

Their owner said he couldn't feed them because he didn't have enough hay or money.

The horses have found new homes, and are well on the road to recovery.

It was a sad sight on a thoroughbred farm in Lincoln County two weeks ago.

There were 70 horses on one farm and officials say 12 of them were starving.

The owner blamed the drought leaving him without hay and lack of resources.

He agreed to give the horses up instead of facing charges.

Last month they could barley stand. But after some donations of feed and hay, these thoroughbreds returned to their natural element.

"They were just running for the joy of running," said Cathy Mitchum, with the Lincoln Co. Humane Society.

"They're racing horses and that's just what they do. It was so wonderful to see that."

Many of the problems can't be blamed just on the weather.

But now people are donating both money and feed to nurse these horses back to health.

"They have a long way to go," said Mitchum. "It will be six months at least just to get these horses back to health and several months after that to get back to their real selves."

One horse had to be put down.

Some are still gimpy and others are suffering from rain rot, similar to mange on a dog.
But with plenty of food and medicine, all are expected to fully recover.

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GRANT COUNTY, KY JULY 2008

2008-07-27T19:53:00.000-04:00

The Grant County AC received calls on eight starving horses in their jurisdiction.

The owner of these horses is well known from prior animal abuse charges involving cats and dogs.

She does not live on the property, and according to neighbors, her nephew has been left in charge of feeding the horses. He has only been seen coming around a couple of times a week, but apparently does not feed the horses properly.

Upon inspection of the horses and property, no water was accessable to the horses, and the only food source found, was stale old straw. It appears that the horses are suffering from a major worm infestation, indicated by their huge bellies.

The County attorney was called immediately, and he has been trying to contact the owner via phone, to no avail.

In the meantime, Speak Up For Horses has filled all empty water troughs and provided some good quality hay to be given to these animals several times a day.

Since the offender has a prior misdemeanor charge relating to animal abuse, this incident could be prosecuted as a felony.

LESLIE COUNTY, KY FEBRUARY 2008

2008-07-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Horse neglect - four found dead
Cutshin, KY (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Feb 29, 2008
County: Leslie
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: David Miniard

Leslie County officials said Friday that they found several badly undernourished horses and at least four dead horses on a farm in the Cutshin area.

Sheriff Paul Howard said Friday afternoon that his office was seeking an arrest warrant against the property owner, whom he identified as David Miniard, a coal miner.

The charges will involve animal cruelty and neglect, Howard said.He said authorities went to the site after receiving several complaint calls and found "seven or eight" horses that were badly undernourished.

He said they also found the decomposed bodies of four horses that had died on the property.Howard said the horses were in an area where all the grass essentially had been eaten away.

"The horses were fenced in and had no place to go," he said. "Some of them had actually jumped over the fence trying to get to other food. They just didn't have any grass at all to survive on."

Case Updates:

A Leslie County man won't serve any jail time after several horses were found dead or in bad shape on his farm. Court officials say David Miniard pleaded guilty to four counts of second degree cruelty to animals.Police say Miniard neglected close to a dozen horses in the Cutshin area. Four of them died. He received two years probation, a one thousand dollar fine, and must perform two hundred hours of community service.

WKYT - April 25, 2008

WKYT - March 30, 2008

WKYT - March 6, 2008

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MARION COUNTY, KY MARCH 2008

2008-07-21T12:01:00.000-04:00

Horses found in poor condition
Lexington, KY (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Mar 1, 2008
County: Marion
Disposition: Not Charged
Person of Interest: Ed Lanham

Marion County's UK-Agriculture Extension agent is facing allegations that several horses in poor condition were found on his farm.

Responding to a complaint from the Department of Agriculture, animal control and other authorities arrived to investigate the allegations Friday. Authorities say the horses belong to Ed Lanham, the county's UK-Ag Extension agent. A veterinarian checked the animals out and said that nine of the horses in question are in poor condition and five of the nine have him very concerned.

The sheriff says Lanham blamed the conditions on the wet winter.Authorities did find one dead horse, but they believe it died from natural causes.

They say they don't plan on filing any charges, but will make sure the horses are put on a strict diet and a worm treatment. Aside from the horses, authorities say the rest of the animals on the farm appear to be healthy.

Officials with UK's College of Agriculture say they're aware of the allegations against Lanham, but don't want to comment until they learn more about the situation.

References

Lex18 News - March 21, 2008

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MC CRACKEN COUNTY, KY MAY 2008

2008-07-21T11:50:00.000-04:00

Horse neglect - 6 seizedPaducah, KY (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
County: McCracken
Disposition: AllegedCase
Alleged: Linda Kingston

Six horses are now in the care of a veterinarian after McCracken County Animal Control officers found them in what one officer called “appalling condition.

”Officers took the malnourished horses from a property on Mayfield-Metropolis Road in McCracken County after receiving an anonymous call.

They charged Linda Kingston with six counts of inhumane treatment.Officers say a veterinarian found signs of mistreatment. Jeff Brown of McCracken County Animal Control says one horse was so malnourished it wasn't able to get up.

"They're all older horses. We've got a couple that are in their upper 20's and we've got some that are only 5 and 6 years old,” said Brown.The horses were taken to a holding center where a vet will treat them and give them the food and water they need.

Case Updates

Authorities in Paducah said a necropsy will be performed on the body of a horse that died after being seized with five others from a McCracken County woman's property.

County animal control officer Jeff Brown said the most seriously malnourished of the horses had been showing signs of improvement, but worsened Saturday night and was euthanized.

Authorities charged Linda Kingston with inhumane treatment of animals.Brown said Kingston blamed the lack of nutrition on poor quality hay.He said the other five horses were showing signs of improvement.

The animals were seized Wednesday after a veterinarian examined them and said they were malnourished.

Seizure Gone Wrong Update (07/24/08):

WPSD6 News

McCracken County Attorney Dan Boaz is launching an investigation into what happened to five apparently malnourished horses seized from their owner in May.

Jeff Beach and Donna Collier of Reidland, who cared for the horses for 45 days after their seizure, have raised questions about whether they are being looked after as agreed in a court order signed July 2 or whether they were auctioned.

Judge Tony Kitchen's order gave custody of the horses to Jody Dick of Marshall County on July 2. "It is my understanding that court order did not transfer ownership, and that Mr. Dick was supposed to retain custody until the matter was resolved," Boaz said.

Boaz said he planned to go to the McCracken County Sheriff's Department this morning and ask for an investigation into what happened to the horses.

McCracken County Animal Control seized six of Linda Kingston's horses May 28 from her home o n Mayfield-Metropolis Road. One was later euthanized after it was unable to stand.

Kingston filed a motion through her attorney, Will Kautz, asking a judge to grant custody of the horses to Dick because she feared she could not pay the county's cost for caring for them until her court case is resolved. Her case is scheduled for a hearing this morning in McCracken District Court.

Although the motion says that Dick had agreed to take both possession and ownership of the horses, the court order signed by Kitchen, Kautz and Assistant County Attorney Sam Clymer makes no ention of ownership, only custody.

In a letter to the court, Dick said he would keep the horses at his parents' 55-acre farm near Benton. The farm is mostly pasture and includes a pond for drinking water, he said.

Jody Dick's mother, Sandra Dick, 70, said she has never talked to her son about keeping any horses on the farm.

"I know no thing about this," she said. "You'll have to talk to my son, who is 42 years old and who doesn't live here. ... The horses have never been here, and I don't know what they're talking about."

Jody Dick did not return phone a reporter's phone calls Wednesday night. He also did not return calls from McCracken County Animal Control Officer Jeff Brown, Brown said.

Brown said he had previously spoken to Jody Dick's wife, Kristi Dick, and that she told him they had found homes for seven of Kingston's horses that were not seized and planned to look for homes for the other five.

"At no point did we ever think they were going to take them to an auction and auction them off," Brown said. "We were under the assumption they were going to go to a 55-acre farm in Marshall County. Animal control went out and looked at it, and it had a nice pasture and large pond."

Beach said he began suspecting the horses were not being taken to the Marshall County farm after a phone call from veterinarian Rhonda Caudill, who was treating the horses. Kristi Dick had come to the clinic and demanded copies of the horses' health papers, she told him. Kristi Dick had listed on paperwork that the horses were being taken to the Marshall County farm.

"They were in such an uproar about getting those papers, and they didn't need them if they were going to take them somewhere in Kentucky," Beach said. "That threw up a red flag."

Beach and Collier continued to care for the horses until July 18, 16 days after Kitchen signed the order. That day, a man came to Beach's home to claim the horses. Beach recognized him as a horse trader he has seen at several auctions.

When talking to a friend that evening, Beach learned an auction was taking place that night at Southern Illinois Equine Sale in Goreville, Ill.

"It was too late for us to get there and try to do anything," Beach said.

Chris Ray, owner of the livestock auction, said late Wednesday he recalled selling the horses but could not recall to whom. That is not uncommon since he auctions 120 or more horses at a time, he said. Ray said he was sure he had a record of the sales in his computer, but declined to provide it to a reporter.

The auction does not require proof of ownership.
"If you've got the Coggins test and the health papers, that's showing to me they're the owner," he said. "That's the only proof we've got to have."

Update 07/25/08:

The horses have been found. The detective on the case found them in IL and they are on their way back.

COURT RULING:

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Kingston Enters Alford Plea In Starving Horses Case

PADUCAH, KY - The Paducah woman, whose starving horses were taken from her in May, entered an Alford plea Tuesday in McCracken District Court. Officials say there was enough evidence against Linda Kingston to go to trial, but she is not admitting guilt.

The judge ruled that Kingston will have to spend 60 days incarcerated at home, pay the county almost $7 thousand in restitution, sign over ownership of the remaining horses and not own any more horses. She will also be on probation for 2 years.

Back on May 8th, Kingston's horses were seized by county animal control officers at her Mayfield-Metropolis road home after they received reports of the horses being underfed. They were taken to Stonecreek Stables, where one of the starving horses died.

FLOYD COUNTY, KY JUNE 2008

2008-07-21T11:34:00.000-04:00

Case ID: 13981
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: horse

Horse found neglected, unable to standFloyd County, KY (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jun 27, 2008
County: Floyd
Disposition: Not Charged
Abuser names unreleased

Animal shelter officials are trying to nurse an Eastern Kentucky horse back to health after they say they found it in such bad shape, it couldn't even stand on all four feet.

Floyd County Animal Shelter Director Kathy Mullins says when she rescued the Tennessee Walker bred horse, she was covered in gnats and flies and unable to do anything about it because of a deep gash on her back right leg.

Mullins says she got an anonymous tip that a horse was struggling to stay alive and stand on all fours."I immediately got in my vehicle and drove out to see if I could see the horse. The horse of emaciated standing on three feet," Mullins said.Armed with a seizure warrant to temporarily take custody of the horse, Mullins transported the Tennessee Walker bred horse to an undisclosed location.

"Our first priority was getting that horse into some emergency medical treatment. Without it, it would not have made it," Mullins said.The horse is doing better now, but Mullins says the horse, known as "Sweat Pea" by her rescuers, has a long road to recovery.Mullins says the cut on the back leg makes it impossible for "Sweat Pea" to move around or even stand and had a sore on her eye.Since the sore is near such a sensitive place, Mullins says all she can do is keep the area clean until it heals on it's own. The horse's hooves were also damaged.

For Mullins, the whole ordeal has taken a toll."If the animal is actually suffering like this one is, don't stop until you get something. Just don't stop and look over it," Mullins said.Mullins says the entire community working together is the only way to stop something like this from happening.

Officials say the investigation remains open and there are no charges or arrests at this time.

References:

WKYT - June 29, 2008

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GIBSON COUNTY, KY MAY 2007

2008-07-10T22:46:00.000-04:00

Plea deal accepted in horse neglect case

January 25, 2008

It was with a sense of resignation and frustration that a Gibson County judge accepted a plea deal in the case of a man accused of neglecting at least 50 horses on his property.
Gibson County Superior Court Judge Earl G. Penrod's ruling Thursday means that 66-year-old Richard Stallings will spend 12 months on probation, with 120 of those days to be served on home detention.

Stallings will not be allowed to have contact with animals during his sentence.
He told Penrod that he has already moved from a property where he was staying into an Evansville home to comply with that condition.

The two-hour sentencing hearing took place in a courtroom where almost every seat was filled.
Many in attendance said they have volunteered on Stallings' former property, which has been transformed into a permanent horse rescue and rehabilitation site, owned by Indiana Horse Rescue.

When Stallings was charged in May, his property became the site of what activists call the state's largest horse seizure. The case has led many to lobby legislators for tougher laws and penalties for such neglect cases.

'Based on reformation'

"I did mention to prosecutors that this seemed lenient to see no jail time in a case with so many counts, but I remind every one here what this is all about," Penrod said. "Our system is based on reformation, not vindictive justice."

Before announcing his ruling, Penrod spent more than 10 minutes explaining the inner workings of the justice system, the role of a judge and the thought process that ultimately led him to conclude the plea agreement was the best possible outcome.

Onlookers in the courtroom showed no reaction to Penrod's ruling.

Saying his office has received a lot of public feedback about the case, Gibson County Prosecutor Robert Krieg explained why he offered the plea agreement.

Krieg said he was willing to enter all of the convictions as misdemeanors because in the seven or eight most extreme cases originally charged as Class D felonies, the charges would have been hard to prove.

"I have heard rumors that Mr. Stallings beat an animal at least one time but I have no proof, and I cannot prosecute based on a rumor," he said.

Krieg also said many people have asked he restrict Stallings from ever having horses again, but that is impossible.

"I have no authority whatsoever to do that under the law," he said. "Certainly if I could I might have, but my hands are tied."

Defense attorney Michael Cochren asked Penrod to consider that Stallings had no prior record, has endured the public's anger, forfeited ownership of his property and pleaded guilty in the case.

Stallings said little during the hearing. It took Penrod nearly 20 minutes to read through every count, to which Stallings admitted his guilt each time by whispering "Yes sir."

Anthony Caldwell, president of the Animal Protection Coalition and Indiana Horse Rescue, testified during the hearing.

He said the case has drawn attention to the need for tougher legislation and drew public awareness far beyond the county.

"A substantial amount of people voiced their frustration over the plea agreement," he said.
"I fear that has overshadowed the good achieved in this case, and think their frustrations should be directed at state laws."

Calling the case the "perfect example of a case where nothing can be done to make everyone happy," Penrod said he hopes Stallings will be rehabilitated, and that others might learn from him.

"I hope that others are deterred by the light that has focused on this case," he said. "Animal neglect is not only a social issue, it is criminal."

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JESSAMINE COUNTY, KY MARCH 2008

2008-07-10T19:17:00.000-04:00

Horses Found In Horrible Conditions

March 26, 2008

Animal control officers continued to remove horses Thursday from a farm in rural Jessamine County where 70 horses were found Wednesday. Officers say the horses were all starving and neglected.

Some of the horses were removed Wednesday, the rest were taken from the scene Thursday afternoon.

On Wednesday officials said, on a scale of one to ten with one being the worst, most of the horses would rank a 1.5. The owner faces 70 counts of animal cruelty and is expected in court next month. Authorities say two other people could also be charged in the case.

Animal Abuse Case Under Review:

Posted: 4:47 PM Jul 29, 2008

Last Updated: 4:47 PM Jul 29, 2008

A Jessamine County couple, charged with starving dozens of horses, had their case go back in front of a judge on Tuesday.

The judge reviewed the case of Sharon and Argo Clagett. Neither was present at the time, and no ruling was made public.

The couple is accused of abusing more than 70 horses on their farm.

The Claggets still have 25 horses they are allowed to keep but are subject to random checks by animal control officers.

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CLARK COUNTY, KY APRIL 2008

2008-07-10T18:59:00.000-04:00

7 Horses Found Dead In Clark County Farm, Others Barely Alive

April 18th, 2008

Authorities say 13 horses were barely alive and seven others were found dead on a farm on Irvine Road, in Clark County.

The county attorney has charged the owner with 20 counts of cruelty to animals. The owner of the farm, Linville Davis, says he's shocked by the allegations and says his horses were always fed.

Davis says he doesn't know what killed the horses that were found dead on the property.

Davis will be arraigned on the charges Monday. Authorities tells us the horses were taken to a local veterinarian.

ROCKCASTLE COUNTY, KY APRIL 2008

2008-07-10T18:42:00.000-04:00

Five Dead Horses Found On Farm

April 16th, 2008

Police in Rockcastle County are investigating after five dead horses and 21 other horses in poor condition were discovered on a farm Tuesday.

State police say the discovery was made after they investigated a complaint they received about the farm, located on Robison Cemetery Road. Police say the owner of the farm, Jerry Campbell, 54, of London has been charged with 21 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals.

ROWAN COUNTY, KY APRIL 2008

2008-07-10T18:34:00.000-04:00

MOREHEAD — Rowan County Sheriff Jack Carter said Wednesday he was still shaken by the scene he encountered the previous day at a horse farm off Ky. 32 east of Morehead.
It was on that farm authorities found the bodies of 31 horses, along with a number of other horses that were still alive but in emaciated condition.

“It was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen,” said Carter, one of the longest-serving sheriffs in Kentucky.“There were buzzards circling the area.”Eleven of the dead horses were in the barn, and 20 more were found in the pasture of the farm, on Kegley Ridge Road, which overlooks Laurel Gorge.

The bodies were in various states of decomposition, Carter said.The animals had chewed holes in the walls of the barn, the sheriff said. The stench, he said, was overwhelming.“I couldn’t stand it,” he said.“I had to come out.”The odor of decomposition still hung heavily in the air near the farm on Wednesday as workers used a bulldozer to dig two mass graves in which to bury the dead horses. Vultures continued to circle the property.

Carter said a number of live horses were found in the barn and in the pasture. Many of the animals were rack-thin and in pitiful shape, he said.“We had eight or 10 that we thought were going to be dead before the end of the day,” he said.

The owner of the farm, Don Miller, told investigators he had been unable to care for his animals because he was critically ill, Carter said.Miller was able to produce receipts showing where he had been spending about $300 a week on feed for his horses, and investigators found grain in the barn, Carter said.

The feed obviously wasn’t getting to the animals, he said.“It was just a case of neglect,” Carter said.“Complete and total.”Under Kentucky law, the worst a person accused of animal neglect can be charged with is a misdemeanor, Carter said.

On Tuesday, the state Department of Agriculture charged the owner, Don Miller, with violating state law regarding the disposition of animal carcasses. The charges carry a fine of up to $500 for a first offense. Subsequent offenses are punishable by fines of $500 to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both.More charges are likely to be filed, investigators said.

"There will be a lot of (charges) in this case,” Carter said, adding that a criminal complaint was filed on Wednesday with the Rowan County Attorney’s Office.

The investigation that led to the discovery of the dead and dying animals was prompted by complaints from the Lewis County chapter of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.Eugene Kinney of the SPCA said Wednesday several people approached him about horses possibly being mistreated on the Miller farm, which prompted him to conduct his own investigation.He said Miller let him on his property voluntarily and allowed him to look around.

Kinney said he reported his findings to the sheriff’s department and to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Division of Animal Health.He confirmed there was feed in the barn. However, Kinney said he saw nothing to indicate the animals had any type of water supply.

Kinney said the living horses had been placed in his care. A veterinarian was brought in to examine the animals, he said.A neighbor of Miller’s, Della Reynolds, told the Lexington Herald-Leader she didn’t notice anything amiss on Miller’s farm until she learned about the investigation from news reports.

Reynolds, who couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday, also told the Herald-Leader Miller had been in poor health since suffering a heart attack a year and a half ago. She also said Miller had raised horses for years and she did not believe he had intentionally neglected his animals.

Case Update:

Police say the owner of an eastern Kentucky farm, his teenage son and a hired hand have been charged in connection with horses found dead and malnourished.The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the three are charged with 21 counts each of misdemeanor animal cruelty in connection with 11 dead horses and 10 in poor health that were found at the Rowan County farm.Authorities have been told that farm owner Don Miller had been critically ill for at least the past year. Detective Gary Lanham of the Rowan County Sheriff's Department says Miller's son was directed to take care of the horses, and Bryan Simpson would take care of them one or two days a week. The son's name hasn't been released because he is a juvenile.An attorney could not be located for Miller or Simpson.Lanham says that according to statements, the teen and Simpson knew of the horses' bad condition, but did not tell Miller.

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HARRISON COUNTY, KY March 2008

2008-07-08T20:15:00.000-04:00

Hapsirishpub is a Thoroughbred whose good fortune changed the day his first owner died. Passed from owner to owner, he was recently taken in by Shelly Price of Speak Up for Horses, a Kentucky-based equine rescue and rehabilitation organization.

The namesake of his owner/breeder's favorite Cincinnati watering hole, "Haps" accumulated over $16,000 in earnings on the track. Haps' owner's son took over the racing stable after his father's death and, according to the horse's first trainer Ramon Salcedo, pushed Haps to be even more profitable. The push didn't bring the desired results, so Haps was retired.

The gelding's new home turned out to be an old hog barn that was still filled with manure and equipment. Alone in the dark, he received limited care and feed. Haps received no farrier or veterinary care, and he went months without hay, Price explained. He lost nearly 400 pounds, and his feet had grown so long they were beginning to curl up in front.

Haps' new owner died in early 2008. His fiancee tried to find Haps a new home. That's when he caught the attention of Speak Up For Horses, who rescued Haps in March.

View a video clip here:

FOX19

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HARRISON COUNTY, KY October 2007

2008-07-08T19:52:00.000-04:00

The Kentucky State Police in Dry Ridge have arrested two persons as a result of an investigation into alleged animal cruelty in Harrison County.

Haskell Risner, 51 and Dinah Risner, 49, both of 3281 Oddville-Sunrise Road, Cynthiana were arrested and charged with eight counts each of Cruelty to Animals 2nd degree pursuant to a Harrison County arrest warrant. They were lodged in the Bourbon County Jail on and later released on $250 bond each.

Acting on information submitted by a group of concerned citizens, the State Police began investigation into the health and well-being of 34 horses owned by the Risners on property in rural Harrison County. In addition, approximately 16 carcasses were discovered on their property by the time state police finally executed a search warrant in early November 2007.

County Attorney Charles W. (Bill) Kuster would only authorize an "on-site" seizure--meaning that the suffering horses were left in the defendants’ care after their arrest and release, after which an additional horse died due to an untreated parasitic infestation.

Kentucky law states that Cruelty to Animals 2nd degree is applicable when a person intentionally or wantonly subjects an animal to cruel or injurious mistreatment through a variety of means to include failing to provide adequate food, drink, or health care.

Class A misdemeanors are punishable by a maximum penalty of up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $500.

However, after many of the horses were purchased by SpeakUpForHorses in order to remove them from the neglectfull owners, Haskell and Dinah Risner were only given a slap-on-the-wrist plea agreement.

Above Palomino dead: