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Farmed animal neglect - 6 horses, 17 hogs, more
Brunswick, GA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Oct 31, 2006
County: Glynn
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Lewis Carroll
A rural Glynn County man charged with five counts of animal cruelty lost custody of six underfed horses and 17 hogs that were already seized, as well as an unknown number of chickens and ducks that are still running loose on his property.
State Court Judge Orion Douglass released Lewis Carroll, of West Fancy Bluff Road, on his own recognizance on Dec 7 and ordered him to pay about $4,500 in combined bills for veterinary care and transporting, feeding and boarding the seized animals. He also forbade Carroll from having any animals on his property.
"You are not to have any animals on your property or in your custody at all. That includes even goldfish," Douglass said.
Glynn County Animal Services officers found the malnourished animals in November as they picked up a puppy on Carroll's property. It was during that follow-up on dogs running loose that officers found horses and pigs "living in terrible conditions" and a number of dead birds around the property, said Marcia Stewart, director of Glynn County Animal Services.
The horses were found to be from 100 to 400 pounds underweight and one horse was standing in filth in a hog pen, she said.
Veterinarian Constance Hatchard, who treated the animals initially, said aside from being underweight the animals had problems with their hooves and teeth. Two pregnant mares had not been given appropriate vaccinations, she said.
The livestock was faring better than the birds, some of which had died.
Carroll said he knew of only one dead chicken on his property and was unaware of the others officers found - a statement Douglass found incredible.
Looking at photos of the dead animals, Douglass asked, "How is it possible for you to live among it and not know it?"
Asked why he had animals he didn't properly care for, Carroll said, "No. 1, I'm an animal lover."
"This is what you call love?" Douglass asked, holding the photos.
Carroll said he had owned one of the horses only a week and was intending to fatten them up and provide a good home for them. He also said he considered the animals in fine shape.
Not all the horses belonged to Carroll. Two belonged to his son, Curtis, who surrendered a horse to Animal Services in 1997. Carroll agreed in court to give up custody of all the animals, but his son balked.
"I don't agree to give my animals away. Not my stuff," Curtis Carroll said.
Douglass said he would not give any horses back and, as Curtis Carroll tried to argue, ordered him out of the courtroom.
Because Curtis Carroll's horses were in his father's care, he was not charged for their treatment.
Although Lewis Carroll was brought to court on one count of cruelty to animals, investigators added four more for a total of three counts for horses and two for hogs.
Part of Douglass' order could be problematic for Animal Services. His order to remove all the evasive ducks and chickens from the property could be hard to carry out, officers said.
"I'm giving y'all about a month to catch as catch can," Douglass said.
All the horses and hogs are in foster care "living the high life," Stewart said. References |
