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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