Horse neglect - 12 seized
Powell Butte, OR (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Mar 28, 2009
County: Crook
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Robert Albring, Jr.
» Christopher Kyle Hooks
» Kyle Jacob Mann
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
A Powell Butte man is charged with one count of Animal Neglect in the first degree, and 11 counts of 2nd degree Animal Neglect. The Crook County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant of his property this afternoon at 12340 SW Hwy 126 in Powell Butte. In all, 12 horses were seized. Two were taken immediately to a veterinarian for treatment. The other ten are being kept at a county facility. Crook County Deputies were assisted by 25 volunteers from Crook County Search and Rescue.
Case UpdatesNew developments in the growing case of horse neglect from Powell Butte. Now the prime suspect of the FBI and multiple police agencies has e-mailed NewsChannel 21, as video of more neglected horses in California has surfaced.
A month ago, Crook County sheriff's officials first told us about Robert Gruntz and his company, The Arlington Group, that allegedly owns the 76 neglected horses found at a Powell Butte ranch, 14 of which were seized by county officials over allegations of neglect that led to the arrest of four ranch workers.
New video is out on YouTube from animal welfare agents in San Bernardino County, Calif., that shows horses emaciated, with full rib cages showing through their skin, and nasty leg wounds left untreated. Officials from the Humane Society of United States have visited property in Bloomington, Calif.
CSheriff's deputies there say the horses shown in the video are just a few of the 40 thoroughbreds owned by Gruntz that have been kept at a ranch.
Officials tell NewsChannel 21 the owner of the property is an innocent party who has allegedly tried to get Gruntz to supply food for the horses. But he hasn't done it and denies they're his.
Crook County deputies say the California case and the one in Powell Butte have the same method of operation, and use the same horse numbering method. They say they believe they are connected.
Meanwhile, Gruntz apparently hasn't been too happy with all the media attention he's gotten, both here in Central Oregon and California over the neglect charges.
In a lengthy e-mail sent to NewsChannel 21, Gruntz blames sheriff's agencies for allegedly planting false information of him on the Internet.
In the letter, he writes, "I have no doubt, after appearing as a witness in Judge Williams' (Prineville) courtroom, I am going to be arrested for who knows what, even though I do not own either the horses or property in question."
However, he adds, "I believe Judge Williams is a decent man, caught in a political morass, but as a horseman and a judge will follow the law when all the facts are known."
Gruntz adds that he believes officials have tried to influence the outcome of litigation against him, and claims they should be the ones being investigated, along with several people he names and claims have been planting allegedly anonymous postings on Internet sites with untrue information for years.
Gruntz disputes the animal neglect charges, saying, "Perhaps the Oregon Department of Justice needs to get involved in this, as the population of Oregon has to be protected from improper enforcement of these code sections."
He repeatedly states the county has failed to offer probable cause for claims of "gross negligence" and did not follow state law in seizing or caring for the animals.
The FBI has been brought into the investigation that alleges Gruntz and others would get financially strapped couples to invest thousands into these ex-race horses, allegedly promising them great returns. But police say the money never went to the horses, but instead was kept.
Police in Southern California are helping to get Gruntz to Oregon to talk with detectives in Crook County.
Meanwhile, Wednesday morning is the deadline for Gruntz to post a $50,000 bond to pay for the Powell Butte horses' care or risk losing them. | Source: KTVZ - May 13, 2009
Update posted on May 13, 2009 - 12:04PM |
After several hours of testimony over several days, a Crook County judge ruled Thursday afternoon there was probable cause for animal neglect charges involving 14 horses seized earlier this spring from a Powell Butte ranch.
The ruling by Circuit Judge Gary Williams means Arlington Farms, the owners of the horses, must put up a $50,000 bond to pay for the horses care or they become property of Crook County, which can start adopting them out and ease the strain on its budget.
The question at the center of this weeks-long forfeiture hearing: Is there probable cause of animal neglect? If so, the animals stay with Crook County; if not, they return to the ranch.
Thursday afternoon, Judge Gary Williams said yes, there is.
A Prineville veterinarian, Redmond feed store owner and a former ranch hand were just a few of the witnesses the defense called to the stand in court Thursday.
Michael Puddicombe worked at the ranch up until last summer. But he says he's been back since then, and the horses seemed fine to him.
"No, I'd say they were being fed pretty good and everything," he testified "I didn't see any problems with the horses."
The defense argued the horses are thoroughbreds and are naturally thin, but the Crook County Sheriff's Office disagreed.
"With ribs showing, hips showing, and injuries to the animals, that's below the minimum standard," said Cmdr. Russ Wright. "That is improper care and that is animal neglect."
Before the judge's ruling, both sides made their final arguments. Crook County District Attorney Daina Vitolins said the state proved its case.
"She (one of the horses) had the old injury that hadn't been treated, and also had a body score of 2 or below," she told the court.
But the defense argued it was simply an overreaction to a sensitive issue, not probable cause.
"You combine that sensitive issue with the fact that the sheriff's office has invited the media into this case, and the fact that they've never missed an opportunity throughout this proceeding to mug for the camera, and if the horses aren't forfeited they're going to end up with egg on their face," said defense lawyer Timothy Gassner.
"[All of this] has contributed to what I characterize as an overreaction."
However, the only words that really mattered in the end were the judge's.
"The horses subject to this action were neglected, and that's my finding," Williams ruled.
The sheriff's office has already spent $60,000 caring for the 14 seized horses, plus looking after the other 60 or so still on the property.
Now, a ranch neighbor is stepping in to help watch over the remaining animals.
The horse owners have until next Wednesday at 8 a.m. to put up a $50,000 bond to help pay for their care.
However, this ruling has no bearing on the criminal case that's under way, involving four caretakers who've been arrested on 14 counts of animal neglect. The final disposition of the horses is likely when those cases are concluded. | Source: KTVZ - May 8, 2009
Update posted on May 13, 2009 - 12:04PM |
Two more employees of a Powell Butte ranch where 14 horses have been seized were arrested on 14 animal neglect charges Thursday evening, bringing the total arrests to four.
Crook County sheriff's deputies said Christopher Kyle Hooks, 20, of Powell Butte, and Kyle Jacob Mann, 18, of Prineville, were employees of the Arlington Farms Ranch at 12340 SW Highway 126, where 67 horses remain, despite the arrests of four ranch hands, including Robert Albring Sr. and Jr. after two raids on the property.
Deputies went to a nearby ranch at 13150 SW Hwy. 126 shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday, looking for Hooks and Mann. Hooks was located and taken into custody without incident, said Det. Sgt. Travis Jurgens.
Less than an hour later, deputies found Mann at a home off Terrace Lane in Prineville and he, too, was arrested without incident.
Hooks and Mann were taken to the county jail in Prineville and lodged on one count of first-degree animal neglect and 13 counts of second-degree animal neglect, Jurgens said. Bail was set at $18,000 for Hooks and $16,000 for Mann.
Horses with serious health issues were seized and most remain at the county fairgrounds in Prineville, receiving care under the sheriff's department's oversight.
Sheriff's Sgt. Russ Wright said the investigation into ownership of the ranch and horses was continuing and that more developments are likely in the next few days. | Source: KTVZ - April 10, 2009
Update posted on Apr 10, 2009 - 1:41AM |
Twelve horses are being kept at the Crook County Fairgrounds after they were seized from their owner Saturday. It took a number of deputies and 25 volunteers from the Crook County Search and Rescue to get the horses out. "There area about 90 thoroughbred horses out there in Powell Butte that we went out there and looked at and there were several, about 12 of them that were in need of medical condition, uh medical help, they needed some groceries, they needed individual attention and the owner of these horses had them in together in one herd so these horses might not be strong enough to fight their way for food," said Commander Brandon Smith with the Crook County Sheriff's Office.
A few of them are receiving care at the Cinder Rock Veterinary Clinic. The horse owners are race horse breeders living in California-- the Crook County Sheriff's Office says the caretakers are being held responsible for now while the investigation continues. 35 year old Robert Albring Junior was cited for one count of Animal Neglect in the first degree and eleven counts of Animal Neglect in the second degree. | Source: KOHD - March 29, 2009
Update posted on Mar 30, 2009 - 1:26AM |
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