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.
