LESLIE COUNTY, KY FEBRUARY 2008

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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