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Case #12972 Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Cows neglected, 34 seized
Williamsport, MD (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
County: Washington
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Gregory Charles Wiles
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
The owner of 34 cows seized last month by the Humane Society of Washington County has been charged with animal cruelty after an investigation revealed five of them starved to death and the rest were underfed, according to Washington County District Court documents.
Gregory Charles Wiles, of 14740 Big Bend Way in Williamsport, was charged with five felony violations of causing the cruel killing of an animal and 29 misdemeanor violations of failing to provide sufficient food and drink, court documents show. He was served a warrant on the charges Jan. 10 and released on his own recognizance, court records show.
In charging documents, the complainant, Humane Society director Paul Miller, said he observed signs of neglect among Wiles' Holstein heifers at two locations in December. Buckeystown Veterinary Hospital veterinarian Karen Miller examined Wiles' cows at farms on College Road and Neck road and determined they were "chronically and habitually underfed," Miller wrote in charging documents.
On Dec. 7, the day after 15 cows were seized from the College Road farm, two of those cows died, Miller said. On Dec. 12, the Humane Society seized 18 live cows and one dead cow from Neck Road, and on Dec. 17, two of those cows died, he said.
Necropsy results showed all five dead cows were "in poor or very poor nutritional condition, emaciated, had serious atrophy of fat, internal parasites, malnutrition, dehydration, and/or gross findings very compatible with starvation," Miller wrote.
Wiles said by phone on Thursday that he felt he was innocent and thought the Humane Society was acting out of its jurisdiction.
"I intend to prove that I took the best care I could of those animals under the circumstances," Wiles said, adding that he entered several of his cows in the Maryland State Fair in August and one placed third out of 20.
"Me and my wife, we have full records," he said. "We feel we've done everything to take care of these animals."
Case UpdatesNo firm decision has been made yet regarding a herd of cattle that was seized from a local farmer after allegations of animal abuse.
Local farmer Greg Wiles pleaded guilty to a long list of animal abuse charges on Monday.
Now, the Humane Society is trying to figure out what to do with the herd, including 26 cattle and a one-month old calf. The organization said it still has a lot of issues to work out before determining who will adopt the animals.
The Humane Society says any money it receives from adoptions will go towards the $22,000 debt that Wiles owes the organization.
Officials at he organization estimate care and feeding of the herd costs about $2,000 a month. The cattle were severely emaciated when they were seized, and there is still a question of whether permanent damage remains.
Due to the severity of their health when the Humane Society seized them, there are questions by the dairy experts as to whether the cows can be put back into production.
Officials said even if the herd can't be put back into production, there are options besides selling them to a slaughterhouse. One of those options is the adoption by an animal sanctuary. | Source: Your 4 State - June 4, 2008
Update posted on Jun 4, 2008 - 9:43PM |
A western Maryland dairy farmer whose investment in cloned cattle led to financial ruin has pleaded guilty to 15 counts of animal cruelty for underfeeding his cows, including two that starved to death.
A judge in Hagerstown sentenced 41-year-old Gregory Wiles, of rural Williamsport, today to three years of probation and barred him from owning any livestock during that period.
Wiles also must pay the Humane Society of Washington County $22,000 for expenses associated with caring for 29 surviving cows that animal control authorities seized in December.
Wiles had one of his most productive milk cows cloned in 2001, planning to profit from sales of the clones' offspring. But regulatory hurdles limited the demand for such animals and put Wiles in a financial bind. | Source: Baltimore Sun - Jan 2, 2008
Update posted on Jun 2, 2008 - 2:50PM |
Jury selection begins Monday for the trial in Hagerstown of a dairy farmer charged with animal cruelty for allegedly starving his cows.
Gregory Wiles of Williamsport is charged with five felonies and 29 misdemeanors.
The Humane Society of Washington County, acting as the county's animal control agency, alleges that his failure to provide sufficient food and water caused the death of five animals.
Wiles claims he is innocent. He says he and his wife did all they could to care for the cows. | Source: WJZ - June 2, 2008
Update posted on Jun 2, 2008 - 12:08PM |
An owner's request for the return of 31 cows seized by the Humane Society of Washington County was turned down Friday by a Washington County District Court judge, who said "without a doubt" the Humane Society had the right to impound the malnourished cows.
The cows' owner, Gregory Charles Wiles, 41, of 14740 Big Bend Way in Williamsport, was charged in January with five felony violations of causing the cruel killing of an animal and 29 misdemeanor violations of failing to provide sufficient food and drink, according to court documents.
His case was forwarded last month to Washington County Circuit Court after he asked for a jury trial. No date for that trial has been set.
The Humane Society seized 34 of Wiles' cows at two locations in December 2007. Fifteen Holstein heifers were in a pasture on College Road in Hagerstown, and 18 cows and one dead cow were in a pasture on Neck Road in the Williamsport area.
Four of the cows died shortly after they were seized, witnesses said Friday.
Two veterinarians who went to the pastures in December to examine the cows described them Friday as "walking skeletons."
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Dr. Karen K. Miller said the cows had no muscle or fat on their bodies, had pale mucous membranes and were "exceptionally hairy," which she said likely was the cows' biological attempt to keep warm despite having no insulation.
Dr. Edward Wurmb, a Hagerstown veterinarian who specializes in dairy animals, said several of the cows had lost the "switches," or bushy part of their tails, which he said usually is a sign of toxicity from eating tall fescue grass.
Wiles suggested that the switches might have been ripped off by the frozen ground when the cows got up to eat. He also asked if the dead cows might have bled to death from the damage to their tails. Both veterinarians said that scenario was not likely.
Necropsy results showed that all five dead cows starved to death, said Dr. Virginia Pierce, a state veterinarian who performed the exams.
Pierce said the dead cows, which were between 18 and 24 months old, each weighed about 400 pounds. She said the normal weight for a cow of that age is 1,100 to 1,200 pounds.
"You don't have cows that age that weigh 400 pounds. You just don't," Pierce said.
Jeff Semler, an agriculture and natural resources agent for the Maryland Cooperative Extension in Washington County, said he sent a letter to Wiles in 2006 instructing him on how to properly feed his cows.
Paul Miller, executive director of the Humane Society, said the group responded to a complaint about the condition of Wiles' cows in August 2007.
Dana Moylan Wright, attorney for the Humane Society, said the group has spent more than $18,000 rehabilitating the seized cows since December.
Wurmb, who has seen the cows since they were impounded, said their conditions have improved slightly, but that it probably will take a year for them to fully recover.
Katherine Cooker, spokeswoman for the Humane Society, said the organization is asking for donations to help defray the cost of rehabilitating the cows. She said the group needs round bales of hay and money to pay for supplies and medical expenses.
To donate
People interested in making donations to the Humane Society of Washington County to help defray the cost of rehabilitating the cows may call 301-733-2060, ext. 237, or donate online at www.hswcmd.org. | Source: Herald Mail - March 8, 2008
Update posted on Mar 10, 2008 - 7:52AM |
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