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Case ID: 14574
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: cat, horse, goat
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Farm animal neglect
Victor, MT (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Sep 15, 2008
County: Ravalli

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Paula Fisher

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Another animal abuse case in the bitterroot, this time several horses and goats were seized after neighbors complained they were being starved. Bitter Root Humane Society volunteers say the animals were crammed together and neglected. The Ravalli County Sheriff's Department saved 17 goats, 10 horses and 2 cats.

Authorities called the Humane Society Monday and asked them to remove the animals from a woman's property in Victor.

Authorities say the animals were neglected, and they also found animal bones scattered across the woman's property. Tuesday local vets checked out the animals, but say it's still too early to know the extent of the abuse, and if all of them will survive. But despite the neglect, volunteers say the animals are affectionate and friendly.

If you would like to donate food, money or your time, contact the Bitter Root Humane Society at 363-531.


Case Updates

Ten horses, 17 goats and two cats were confiscated from a Victor woman Monday following an investigation into alleged neglect.

The decision to seize the animals followed a complaint by a neighbor that Paula Fisher wasn't caring for the animals on her property near Victor.

The man told Ravalli County Sheriff's Office officials there were some severely neglected horses on Fisher's property and that she had asked another man to bring a backhoe to bury six horses that had died, according to court documents.

Ravalli County sheriff's deputies found skeletal remains of horses on the property. They also saw a number of "extremely thin" horses and goats. The Ravalli County veterinarian determined the animals were being neglected and needed immediate care and rescue, the court documents said.

"The animals were seized and placed under the care of the Bitter Root Humane Association," said Ravalli County Undersheriff Kevin McConnell Tuesday.

The animals will remain with the humane association until the case works its way through the legal process. McConnell said the county attorney's office will decide if charges will be levied in the case.

This latest seizure comes on the heels of a community uproar over the alleged abuse of four horses by a pair of Georgia men in August that "definitely had a lot of people upset," McConnell said. "This is something that the community is just not going to accept."

Vicky Dawson, manager of the Bitter Root Humane Association, said they'll need to hire someone to care for the animals from Victor.

"We've been here before," Dawson said. "We'll do what it takes to care for these animals."

The animals' condition is currently being assessed. Dawson said it appears they are mostly underweight and their feet are in bad condition.

A crew of volunteers with trucks was ready to help move the animals in a little more than an hour after the sheriff's department called, Dawson said.

"We can't go and walk onto someone's property and take their animals," Dawson said. "The Bitter Root Humane Association only gets involved in cases like this when we've been asked to by the Ravalli County sheriff's department."

"When we do get involved, we are just the caretakers," she said.

Volunteers are already stepping forward to help care for this new group of animals. People have already been donating hay, money and their time to help care for the horses confiscated in August from the Georgia men.

Dawson learned Tuesday that Quality Supply in Missoula offered to donate a $3,800 dollar equine shelter to the humane association after hearing about the horses.

"Right now, the only shelter I have for horses is a Costco tent that had been torn into two pieces," she said. "It wasn't even designed for horses. The only shelter I had was falling apart."

The Hamilton facility may be the only regular animal shelter in the state that takes abused and neglected horses, she said.

Dawson said the humane association has to turn away people hoping to find a place to adopt their horses.

"We just don't have the facilities for that," she said.

With the economic downturn, Dawson is worried about what the future might bring.

"We usually average a larger case like this a year," Dawson said. "Within the last 12 months, we've had three. Everyone is predicting there will be more. With the downturn in the economy, people are struggling to pay to care for their animals."
Source: Ravalli Republic - Sept 17, 2008
Update posted on Sep 20, 2008 - 3:50AM 

References

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