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Case #15999 Rating: 1.0 out of 5
Horse neglect - 9 found starved to death
Irvington, KY (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Feb 10, 2009
County: Breckinridge
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Glenda A. Wright
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Guston woman was charged with 17 counts of cruelty to animals 2nd degree when nine horses were found starved to death on her rented farm.
Breckinridge County Sheriff Todd Pate said Glenda A. Wright, 51, has a Guston address though the farmland she rents on Bewleyville-Rosetta Road fell under Breckinridge County jurisdiction.
Pate said animal control officer Mike Picente received calls about animals not being taken care of on Wright's property. Pate, Picente, and two veterinarians went out to the farm earlier this month where there were roughly 40 horses.
Pate said nine of those horses were emaciated to the point of death, and eight others were in dire need of medical care.
Wright was arraigned in district court Feb. 10. Pate said she is presently out on bond, and a trial is slated for April 17.
Pate said he had been alerted of mistreatment of animals at Wright's farm before, but during a prior investigation the physical condition of the animals at that time didn't warrant charges of animal cruelty.
He said staff members of Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Irvington, Ky., are caring for the horses at the farm.
Case UpdatesUnexpected guests often drop in over the holidays, but what if your drop-ins were an entire herd of Quarter Horses?
That's what happened to Falmouth, Ky., equine rescue facility Speak Up For Horses, when 48 mares, stallions, and foals were signed over to them by Breckenridge County Judge Executive Ray Powers, upon culmination of a local animal cruelty case and the recent foreclosure of the farm where they lived.
The breeder, Glenda A. Wright, was charged last February with 17 counts of cruelty to animals and one count of improper disposal. Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) staff veterinarian Michael O'Bryan, DVM, accompanied Breckenridge County Sheriff Todd Pate in February to investigate the situation.
"We discovered eight or nine horses dead, and four more that were probably Grade 2 on the Henneke Body Scale," said O'Bryan. He reported that three additional horses died within a week of their visit.
Convicted of all counts on May 8th, Wright is now serving a sentence of one year for each misdemeanor count, running concurrently for a maximum of twelve months. During the lengthy court case process, the horses remained on-site, where they were fed and received emergency care provided by O'Bryan and BWS.
In November, the farm foreclosure required dispersal of the herd; when Wright failed to re-home the horses, they were scheduled to be sold at auction. That's when Speak Up For Horses, which had been monitoring the case, stepped in.
"We've brought them to a local farm, and we're feeding them the best quality hay we can find, with grain for the youngsters," said Shelly Price, director of Speak Up For Horses. She reported that everyone is now current on their Coggins and health certificates; deworming is in process; and stallions are now segregated, awaiting gelding when it's warmer and there's less chance of respiratory complications.
Sounds like a happy ending is on order for this herd. "All of these horses are beautiful and healthy now, and just need good homes," said Price.
For adoption information or donations, contact Source: The Horse Magazine - Dec 23, 2009
Update posted on Dec 24, 2009 - 1:21AM |
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