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Case #10613 Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Nearly two dozen horses seized
Olympia, WA (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jan 18, 2007
County: Thurston
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Byron Baty - Dismissed
» Corrienne Lee Erickson-Wiles
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
Nearly two dozen horses are getting some much needed emergency care after being severely neglected.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Department seized the 23 horses, including three miniatures, from a pasture near Olympia.
The animals are malnourished and have parasites. The vet treating them says three are in very serious condition.
The horses are staying with a group called Hoofed Animal Rescue of Thurston County.
"This is a lot of horses to take care of … that could be done a lot better. There's some real lack of basic management here," said Connie Patterson.
Case UpdatesA Shelton woman was sentenced this week to 90 days in jail for failing to care for 22 horses she owned or boarded.
Corriene Lee Erickson-Wiles, 28, pleaded guilty Tuesday to 11 counts of failure to provide humane care and eight counts of second-degree animal cruelty as part of a plea agreement, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Debra Eurich said Thursday.
Charges against the other person in the case, Mason County sheriff's deputy Byron Baty, were dismissed, Eurich said. The prosecuting attorney said the dismissal was a result of Erickson-Wiles having more culpability in the crimes and Baty disavowing ownership of the horses.
"I just wanted someone to be responsible for it, and she took the responsibility," Eurich said.
The judge suspended Erickson-Wiles' sentence for the animal-cruelty conviction, and she faces nearly two years in jail if she violates probation, Eurich said.
Erickson-Wiles was ordered to pay $8,000 in civil penalties and $16,583 in restitution to Hooved Animal Rescue of Thurston County, which has cared for the horses since authorities seized them. She can't own or board a horse for two years. She can continue to ride horses that are under someone else's care.
Thurston County sheriff's deputies seized 23 malnourished and unfed horses from leased property on McKenzie Road Southwest, near Mudd Bay, in January.
Baty and Erickson-Wiles each were charged with 19 counts of animal cruelty and three counts of failure to provide humane care. The charges, both of which are misdemeanors, were in connection with 22 of the 23 horses that were seized.
Three counts of failure to provide humane care were dismissed under Erickson-Wiles' plea agreement, Eurich said, because the horses associated with those counts weren't starving.
Erickson-Wiles relinquished ownership of the six horses that she owned shortly after authorities seized them. Three have found new homes, and three are available for adoption.
Hooved Animal Rescue also seeks homes for half of the remaining 16 horses, which Erickson-Wiles didn't own. One was returned to its owner. Who owns the remaining seven horses will be the subject of a court hearing next week.
Hooved Animal Rescue has 16 horses available for adoption. The organization can be reached at 360-455-6100 or www.har-otc.com. | Source: The Olympian - June 21, 2007
Update posted on Jun 22, 2007 - 11:05PM |
Prosecutors have now filed 22 counts of second-degree animal cruelty against Mason County Deputy Byron Baty and his girlfriend Corrienne Wiles.
Baty is a 9-year veteran with an otherwise clean record.
While Baty's superiors say he's been a good deputy, they can't ignore the allegations.
The sheriff's office has placed Baty on administrative leave and is doing its own investigation.
"Any time there's an allegation like this, whether sustained or not, it's a bit disconcerting," said Dean Byrd, Chief Deputy, Mason County Sheriff's Office.
While Baty is on paid administrative leave now, that's about to change. As of Monday, he'll be back working on limited duty pending the outcome of the charges.
The Mason County Sheriff's Office says Baty could face a range of disciplinary actions including termination. He has been on paid leave since the horses were seized. | Source: King 5 - Feb 2, 2007
Update posted on Feb 3, 2007 - 1:39PM |
The two owners of 23 malnourished, underfed and uncared-for horses each could face up to 23 counts of second-degree misdemeanor animal cruelty, a lieutenant with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office said.
The horses were impounded from a McKenzie Road Southwest address on Wednesday morning, after sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant.
On Thursday, Sheriff's Lt. Chris Mealy said his office has referred the case to the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, recommending the counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty. It is up to the prosecutor handling the case to decide whether to file formal criminal charges, Mealy said.
The sheriff's office will not release the names of the horses' owners because they have not been arrested or formally charged. The prosecutor handling the case could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
Twenty-two of the horses were recovering at a local stable Thursday night; the other has been adopted by a member of Hooved Animal Rescue of Thurston County, said Connie Patterson, the organization's co-founder.
The group asked that the stable's name and location remain private.
On Thursday night, one horse had a large running sore from where part of a wet blanket had dug into its skin. Another's ribs were visible due to a lack of food. Three yearlings between 12 and 14 months old still are passing live roundworms.
"Their parasite load is tremendous," according to Hooved Animal Rescue president John Countryman.
And, like almost all the other horses, the three yearlings show signs of "rain rot," a skin condition that ruins a horse's coat, he added.
Hooved Animal Rescue volunteers are nursing the horses back to health in the warm stable, feeding them hay and making sure they have plenty of water, Patterson said.
"We're monitoring their temperatures," she said. "Some of them have low-grade fevers."
It can cost as much as $250 a month to feed and care for a horse, he said, but growing hay and taking care of boarding can eliminate much of that cost.
Hooved Animal Rescue members said Thursday night that they have high hopes the horses will be restored to health.
"A horse never forgets anything," Countryman said. "But with proper training and care, they can overcome the negative aspects of this."
How to help
Hooved Animal Rescue seeks donations of these items to help care for the horses:
* Waterproof blankets
* "Mini-" to thoroughbred-sized blankets
* Lead ropes
* Halters
* Worm medicine
* Brushes
* Stall bedding
* Feed
People can drop off the items at the animal shelter at 3120 Martin Way or at Panowicz Jewelers, 111 Market St. People who want to donate feed can do so through Kiperts Korner Feed on Old Highway 99.
Also, people who meet certain criteria, such as having handling experience and the ability to provide shelter, can volunteer as "foster families." Applicants must submit to a home check to determine that they have suitable lodgings for a horse.
To apply to become a foster family, call Hooved Animal Rescue at 360-455-6100 and leave a message. | Source: The Olymian - Jan 19, 2007
Update posted on Jan 26, 2007 - 11:39PM |
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