Case Details

Severe horse neglect - one found dead, 14 total emaciated
Jonesborough, TN (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Apr 26, 2003
County: Washington
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abuser/Suspect: Scotty E. Ramsey

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Case ID: 1323
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: horse
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Six horses found Saturday (one dead, five severaly emaciated) 4/26/03 in Sulphur Springs close to Sulphur Springs/Bowmantown Rd. Crossroads in an old dairy farm barn.  Authorities notified - 911 and Animal Control dispatched. The owner of the property is being charged. 

The court arrainment was held April 30, 2003 in in Jonesborough, TN 37659, at 9:00am.  The District Attorney took Ramsey out for a deal in order to find the rest of his horses, as there have allegedly been witnesses saying he has 14 total.  The additional horses are believed to be in the same shape at another location.  His next court date is in June.

5 horses and a 6-week filly were in an old run down dairy farm barn in Sulphur Springs-Jonesborough, TN 37659 in stalls.  They look like skeletons walking.  A 6-week old filly lay dead in the stall.  The mare walking over to her and standing over her.  Aminal Control and 911 responded immediately.  Mountain Empire Animal Hospital has done evaluations.  After 3 days of feeding most of the horses are evaluated as 2's.

Case Updates

Scotty Ramsey, charged with animal abuse for the second time, will serve 20 days in jail and be prohibited from owning animals for two years. Ramsey took a plea-bargain agreement yesterday that also requires him to pay three-thousand dollars in restitution.

Ramsey, who bought and sold horses for a living, was charged with 14 counts of animal abuse in July after animal control officers found three dead horses on his property.

Eleven malnourished horses were removed by animal control officers as well.

At the time of the arrest, Ramsey was on probation for animal cruelty charges stemming from 2003 for mistreatment of six horses, one of which died.
Source: WREG - Feb 9, 2006
Update posted on Feb 10, 2006 - 2:47PM 
Four months after being rescued from a barn in Sulphur Springs, 11 emaciated horses are no longer starving - for food or attention.

"They're healthy, they're happy and they're playful," said Washington County/Johnson City Senior Animal Control Officer Randy Buchanan. "It's a whole different bunch of horses."

But the journey back to health hasn't been an easy one.

The horses, which were found in a barn alongside three of their counterparts that had already died, were suffering with parasites when authorities found them and hadn't been fed properly for an undetermined amount of time, possibly for as many as five weeks.

When veterinarians from Mountain Empire Animal Hospital took a look at them in late July, none of the horses scored very high on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the best.

"I think the highest they rated was a two," Buchanan said. "Today, these horses would probably be sevens, easily.

"I think the biggest thing that turned them around is getting the worms and parasites out of them, then the appropriate feeding."

Feeding the rescued horses - six mares, three studs and two colts - has been a somewhat daunting task for the animal shelter, which cares for approximately 100 dogs and at least as many cats year-round in addition to providing for other animals rescued from cruelty cases.

"We went through two to three tons of food and probably went through 300 to 400 bales of hay to feed the horses so far," Buchanan said. "When we got them, I'd be guessing, but I'd say they weren't more than 400 pounds apiece. They've probably put on 175 to 200 pounds each, easy."

Although the cost is fairly high to take care of the horses, assistance from the public and area law enforcement has cut the price dramatically.

"The public has done a great job helping us get these horses to where they are today. They've given us and the horses great support," Buchanan said of the many donations received since the shelter took the animals in. "The sheriff's department has really come through this time, too. They've delivered hundreds of bags of feed and tons of hay."

But with Wednesday's rescheduling of the case against the horses' owner, Scotty Ramsey, 36, 109 Peaks Pike, Gray, Animal Control is left with 11 horse mouths to feed for at least another month and a half.

"We already need more hay for them," Buchanan said. "It's tough."

Ramsey's court appearance was rescheduled for Feb. 1, when he will face 14 charges of animal cruelty for the July discovery of the three deceased and 11 malnourished horses.
Source: Kingsport Times-News - Dec 6, 2005
Update posted on Dec 7, 2005 - 8:43PM 
Ramsey is expected to be arraigned in court this morning. The horses that survived are now in a confidential location and won't be up for adoption unless Ramsey is found guilty of the cruelty charges.
Source: Tricities.Com - July 26, 2005
Update posted on Jul 26, 2005 - 8:16AM 

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References

Jonesborough Courthouse
Bristol Herald Courier
Kingsport Times-News - Feb 9, 2006

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