Immediate Release
December 28, 2009
Batavia, Ohio. “This is one of the worst horse cruelty cases I’ve ever dealt with,” said Clermont County Chief Animal Control Officer Debra Wood, who has worked for the shelter for 23 years. “It just makes me sick.” Wood and her staff are investigating the deaths of at least 10 horses found on property at 2200 Donald Road in Bethel. “We were called to the property by a neighbor who reported horses on the property had apparently been abandoned. When we arrived we were not prepared for what we found, all those carcasses and some severely malnourished animals,” she said.
Because the horses were in back pastures, the animal control officers and a concerned neighbor had to set up a feeding station to lure the animals into an area where they could be observed. On Monday, December 28, 2009, six live horses, one donkey, and one pony were taken from the property; they are currently being cared for at a local farm. A veterinarian has concurred that all the animals are malnourished.
“This situation has been very difficult on our staff and it is entirely possible that the death count for the horses could go up,” added Wood. The Clermont County Animal Shelter is working with the Clermont Prosecutor’s Office on possible animal cruelty and abandonment charges that could be filed against the caretaker of the animals.
The Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office said that a first offense for animal cruelty or abandonment is a second degree misdemeanor that carries up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine per count. The penalties can be consecutive. The court can order the forfeiture of the surviving animals.
#
For additional information about this or other county news, contact Clermont County Communications Director Kathryn Lehr at (513) 732-7597 or by e-mail, klehr@co.clermont.oh.us.