Horse shot Warsaw, OH (US) Incident Date: Friday, May 2, 2003 County: Coshocton Local Map: available Disposition: Not Charged Person of Interest: Francis Hilton

Case ID: 1360 Classification: Shooting Animal: horse View more cases in OH (US) Animal was offleash or loose Login to Watch this Case

A shotgun shooting of a horse on the land of Francis Hilton of 28960 TR 33 in Jefferson Township led to injuries on May 2. The horse was one of three animals owned by the neighboring family of Shelly Kuchinka of 28790 TR 350. The horse got out of a broken fence and ended up on the Hilton property that morning.

According to Estelle Hilton, wife of Francis Hilton, he fired into the trees because the horses were behaving in a wild and threatening manner toward both property and their great-nephew.

The horse, called "Ripper," was treated at the Ohio State University veterinary clinic and has since been returned to the Kuchinka farm.

But the deputies reporting the case, as well as neighbors and the horse owners, thought the shooting unjustified.

Coshocton County Humane Officer Chris Sturtz is concerned that the fact that this case hasn't been pursued as a criminal case might serve as a precedent.

"I don't want people to think this is a license to kill," Sturtz said. "I live on a farm -- we have horses and cattle. I have forgotten to shut a gate before."

Other cases involving animal shootings tend to occur out of sight from the rest of the world, Sturtz said, and therefore there are no witnesses. The animals in such cases are usually dogs. To the owners of such animals, they are never seen nor heard from again, and the owners remain unaware of the animal's fate.

But, Sturtz added, a landowner shooting an animal is not often held liable unless there is evidence. And in most cases, Sturtz said, there are no witnesses.

She said that if the loose animal causes damage to a neighbor's property, the animal owner is financially responsible for that damage. If the animal is shot, the shooter can be held responsible for veterinary bills or compensation for a dead animal.

Kuchinka has said she intends to pursue the case in civil court to recover expenses related to the shooting of her horse.

Although the police prosecutor in the case of the horse shooting on the Hilton property declined to pursue a criminal case, the Humane Society may, by Ohio law, attempt a prosecution of its own, according to Medina County attorney Jeff Holland.

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Back to Top

Add this case to:

Del.icio.us

|

Digg

|

Furl

|

References

Coshocton Tribune

« OH State Animal Cruelty Map

Not sure what these icons mean? Click here.

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.