Horse, dogs found on farm severely neglected
Townsend, DE (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jul 26, 2007
County: New Castle
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Robin K Giroso
A tip late last month led state animal protection officials to a Townsend farm where a miniature horse and two dogs were found neglected, emaciated and sickly.
When SPCA investigator John Saville arrived at Robin K. Giroso's property July 26, 2007, he discovered an 11-year-old male miniature horse named Chiefm whose ribs were "starkly visible," said John E. Caldwell, president of the Delaware Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Saville also found Ebony, a black-and-silver wire-haired terrier-bassett hound mix, suffering from flea infestation with hair loss, open sores on its hind quarter and an old ruptured cyst on its back. A black-and-brown female chow-keeshond mix named Winnie was emaciated, with temporal muscular atrophy, Caldwell said. Winnie also tested positive for heartworms and hookworms, he said. In addition, the drinking water put out for the animals contained mosquito larvae, Caldwell said.
All three outdoor animals were taken from Giroso, and Saville obtained an arrest warrant Aug. 1, 2007, charging her with three counts of cruel neglect.
Giroso, who lives in the 500 block of Blackbird Landing Road, pleaded not guilty to the three misdemeanor charges at Justice of the Peace Court No. 9 in Middletown. Her trial is scheduled for Sept. 10, 2007.
Giroso, who could not be reached for comment, faces a maximum fine of $6,900 if convicted of all three charges and up to two years in jail on each count. If convicted of the cruelty charges, Giroso would also be prohibited from owning any animal for five years, Caldwell said.
Giroso had two indoor dogs and several barnyard cats throughout the property. "They were indoor animals and not neglected," Caldwell said. The miniature horse was diagnosed with carbohydrate deficiency by a veterinarian and has since been relocated to a horse farm in Elkton, Md..
"The two dogs were signed over to the custody of the SPCA and examined by a vet and are in our custody," he said References« DE State Animal Cruelty Map
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