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Case #13680 Rating: 3.1 out of 5
Horse and llamas starved, some die
La Plata, NM (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Jan 3, 2008
County: San Juan
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Anne Sullivan
A La Plata woman accused of neglecting several horses and llamas in January, several of which later died, was sentenced to five years probation in district court this week after pleading guilty to reduced charges.
Anne Sullivan, 53, pleaded guilty Tuesday [April 22, 2008] to five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, charges that carry a prison term of up to five years. She initially was charged with 10 counts of maliciously torturing an animal, a fourth degree felony.
The District Attorney's Office opted to not seek jail time in the case partially to ensure Sullivan had the means to pay restitution, including about $2,000 for the animals' rescue and nearly $7,000 in veterinarian bills.
"The defendant will not own any sort of animal - I mean anything, not even a goldfish - for that period of (probation) time," District Judge Bill Birdsall said while delivering the five-year supervised probation sentence, the maximum allowable by state law.
Sullivan told the court she had gone to California to take care of an ill family member and left the animals in the care of a neighbor, but despite hearing there were problems with the animals being fed and watered, chose not to immediately return.
"I think under the circumstances, five years is way too long," Public Defender Ron Bramble, representing Sullivan, argued during the hearing.
Bramble requested any probation given be unsupervised, but that suggestion was rejected by the judge.
"In the end, she still would not face the fact that she starved those horses," said Debbie Coburn, a founding director of Four Corners Equine Rescue, which is caring for some of the rescued animals. "The condition of these horses was not something that happened in two days or two weeks. This was long-term neglect."
An animal control officer who spoke during the sentencing described Sullivan as an animal hoarder, who loves to collect animals but fails to take care of them.
"This is not her first rodeo," said Coni Jordan, with county animal control, saying her office had contact with Sullivan for many years regarding the treatment of her animals.
When investigators found the neglected animals, one llama already had died. Two others later died during treatment at the Aztec Animal Shelter.
Four horses were found to be "severely malnourished," and were seized by the state.
"One of the things she agreed to as part of the plea agreement was that she would not contest that seizure," Chief Deputy District Attorney Dustin O'Brien said. "That means now the equine rescue can start looking for a permanent placement."
The sentence was a fair one that sends a message that people will pay a penalty for abusing or neglecting their animals, Coburn said.
"I think it was a good sentence," she said. "That's a definite step forward for San Juan County." References
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