Attorneys/Judges
| Judge(s): | Marzell Richardson |
Horse neglect
Manhattan, IL (US)Incident Date: Friday, Apr 3, 2009
County: Will
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Sheryl Willis
A Manhattan woman who allegedly confined two starving horses on her farm - and ignored authorities' demands that she feed them - has herself been locked up and charged with animal cruelty.
Will County Animal Control boss Dr. Lee Shield said investigators found an emaciated aging mare quarter horse and a younger quarter horse cross in a mud pen without access to food or water at 52-year-old Sheryl Willis' home on the 16500 block of Bruns Road March 23.
"There was no hay on the farm," Shield said, "The horses were both very skinny, but the older mare was in very bad shape."
Animal Control investigators gave Willis 24 hours to fix the situation, and she told them she had hay coming that evening, Shields said.
But when the investigators returned a day later, "There was still no hay," Shields said.
The horses were seized Friday and taken to a sanctuary, he said.
"I spoke to her on the phone and she said she thought she had 30 days to make changes," Shields said
"What we'd actually told her was she had 24 hours, and that we'd be back daily for 30 days to make sure she was looking after these animals properly.
"She seemed to be keeping them as pets."
During a hearing at the Joliet courthouse Monday, Willis was ordered held in Will County Jail on bail of $10,000 by Judge Marzell Richardson, records show.
Will County Sheriff's Police spokesman Pat Barry said Willis, who's charged with two counts of animal cruelty and two counts of neglecting her animal owner duties, had not made bail as of Wednesday afternoon.
Willis appears next in court April 13. References
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