 Horses found starving
Newton, AL (US)Incident Date: Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
County: Dale
Disposition: Alleged
Charges: Misdemeanor
Alleged: Michael L. Kovach
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She braced her legs as steady as she could to strengthen her pose. She held her head down and offered a slight and ugly glare as if to guarantee she could forcefully defend herself against anything and anyone, although both she and those rushing to save her knew she couldn�t.
The female was one of three of Michael L. Kovach�s horses found starving and unattended on his property along state Hwy. 123 on Sunday. Dale County animal and law enforcement officials were expected to sedate and seize the horses on Tuesday in addition to four more owned by Kovach, who was believed to feed the animals only once a week because he works in Georgia.
He now faces up to a year in a county jail and fines up to $2,000 for each of seven counts of cruelty to an animal. Dale County Sheriff�s investigator Harvey Mathis said Kovach�s wife who lived in Newton was not charged because investigators had traced ownership of the horses to Mr. Kovach.
Kovach is expected to be arrested on Wednesday, Aug 22.
Mathis said most of the horses� ribs were showing, at least one of them had a maggot infestation, and another one had a crooked leg.
It could be months before the horses are healthy again, he said. For the time being, they will be quarantined under the care of local veterinarian Christa Bragg.
Kovach said in an earlier interview with the Dothan Eagle that he had planned to sell all seven horses once the sickliest of them was nursed back to health. He said he had no idea how bad the horse�s condition had gotten until he was notified by local law enforcement.
Adams said there have been several animal cruelty cases in the county this year, including one where someone used an arrow to kill a dog and another where someone shot a dog.
Because the county does not have an animal cruelty division, Adams said law enforcement officials on other assignments investigate each case.
�But when officers get hold of one of these cases they work them as they do any other,� Adams said. �This particular one was originally reported by a neighbor and sometimes that�s what it takes to bring some of these owners to justice - alerting officers to let them know what is going on.�
Mathis thanked Bragg and District Attorney assistant Cathey Berardi and other sheriff�s investigators for their assistance.
�These people have volunteered their time to help get these animals cared for,� he said. References« AL State Animal Cruelty Map
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