15 dead horses found on abandoned farm in Trimble County
Posted: Feb 01, 2017 5:56 PM EST
TRIMBLE COUNTY, Ky. (WDRB) -- Several dead horses were found Wednesday on a farm in Trimble County.
Henry County Animal Control arrived to the home on Perkinson Lane and saw three horse carcasses from the driveway.
A search warrant was issued, and animal control found the skeletal remains of 12 other horses and many rabbits on the property.
“It’s a mess. We found more than what we thought we would find,” said Dan Flinkfelt with Henry County Animal Control. “You hear about it, and you don’t think it is going to happen in your area. Then once it comes across, it is a huge shock.”
Officials tell WDRB they initially arrived to the rented home for a probation check.
Twelve other horses on the property were clearly malnourished. The sheriff’s office brought in several large hay bales for the horses, since there was no food in their large pasture.
Investigators are not sure how long the animals were without food or water.
A rescue group with Windy Meadows Equine Center arrived on scene shortly before 5 p.m. and started rounding up the remaining horses to take to their 300-acre farm in Oldham County. All the horses were immediately check by a veterinarian.
“We’ll do a slow feed-back, which is grass hay, plain ‘ole hay and water, and you will see a huge change,” said Ellie Troutman, one of the rescue workers.
The owner of property could face more than 35 counts of animal cruelty and improperly disposing of a carcass and could face a year in jail for each count.
WDRB with video
19 dead horses found on Trimble Co. property
Wednesday, February 1st 2017, 11:48 pm ESTBEDFORD, KY (WAVE) – At least 19 horses, 15 rabbits and three goats were confirmed dead on a Trimble County property owned by a Bedford woman.
Animal Control authorities acted on a search warrant on Wednesday night, rescuing 14 horses and five rabbits with the help of Ellie Troutman and her team at Windy Meadows Equestrian Centers.
"I mean there are dead horses lying within eye shot of the road. It's tragic really. And it never gets easy people ask ‘is this another day in the life of the horse farm,’" Troutman said. "It's not."
Troutman rescued at least 12 horses who will go to her farm to get veterinary care and begin to heal.
"That's what makes my heart feel good that we rescued those horses and that's what will make me tear up," Troutman said.
Wednesday was not the first time Henry-Trimble County Animal Control director Russell Spaulding had shown up to a pasture in Trimble County for calls about dead animals.
“Couple years back, some fell through some ice and in the lake on another property, basically we informed her that they needed to be disposed of and she did,” Spaulding said.
It was the same woman, similar call. With dead horses found on her property again, Spaulding said it makes him worry that there are more dead horses.
With a search warrant, county officials will investigate what exactly led to the deaths of the animals.
At this point, Animal Control officials said they are focused on the animals themselves. Finding which ones need help and which ones need removal. Once they take in all the information about how many animals remain alive on the pasture, they will take them to a place they can be taken care of.
“It doesn’t mean that is guilty of anything, these animals could have been sick, she could have not just been able to get them,” Spaulding said.
Neighbors who know the owner of the property and the animals said she has never had malicious intent. Matt Sandusky said the woman brings in neglected horses that are no longer wanted and are often times sick.
“She picks up animals that people just don’t want and it’s going to make her look bad but the reality is people don’t take their responsibility and she tries to - I think, takes on too much,” Sandusky said.
Spaulding added whatever the circumstances may be, he said he wishes the owner had reached out for help if she needed any.
“We have never got a call about needing hay, she’s in touch with a lot of horse people in the area, and they’ve tried to help, I feel like she just got in over her head,” Spaulding said.
Woman charged with animal cruelty after horses found dead
Feb 03, 2017 3:34 PM EST
BEDFORD, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Trimble County woman is facing nearly 100 animal cruelty charges after dozens of dead animals were found on her property.
Marlena Robinson, 33, was arrested late Thursday night by the Trimble County Sheriff's Office. She is charged with 54 counts of animal cruelty and 43 counts of improper disposal of a dead animal.
After the property in Bedford was searched, investigators found 21 dead horses, along with dead alpacas, goats, cats, and rabbits. Twelve other horses on the property were clearly malnourished. The sheriff’s office brought in several large hay bales for the horses, since there was no food in their large pasture.
Robinson is to have no contact with any animals and is expected in court Feb. 14.
WDRB with video
UPDATE 04/13/2017:
Horse rescued in Trimble County abuse case in labor, others recover
BEDFORD, KY (WAVE) – 72 days after one of the worst horse abuse cases in Kentucky, the suspect in the crime pled guilty to animal cruelty.
Marlena Robinson won't spend any time in jail but will be forced to pay at least $19 thousand dollars in restitution and will no longer be able to own animals for at least two years.
The surviving horses are at Windy Meadows farm in La Grange. Back in February, many horses were skin and bones; 15 rabbits, 3 goats 19 horses dead.
13 other horses were rescued out in Trimble County
"This is a big change from what you saw on February 1," Ellie Troutman of Windy Meadows Farm said. It has taken Months of round the clock care.
"It really was hour by hour for some of these horses," Troutman said.
The horses required specialized treatment as they fought starvation.
"You know one of the problems was them eating the bedding, the pine shavings," said Troutman.
"This horse we didn't think would survive,"
These horses were once starving, infected with parasites and even feeding off each other, now they are thriving beyond anyone's expectations.
At least three of these horses pregnant when rescued. One foal now joins the ranks and two others are on the way.
"This is what we do..this is why we do it. You can't put a price on it. Really you can't The fact that they're thriving and survived. February 1-not sure that was going to happen," Troutman said.
Now that the court case is final, some of these horses will be adopted. A couple are heading as far as Chicago. These homes have been vetted to the extreme to make sure they're protected as best as possible.
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