Two horses neglected, starved
Hancock, MI (US)Incident Date: Monday, Jul 12, 2010
County: Houghton
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged:
» Tara Lynn Ahonen
» John Patrick Beaudoin
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
It's going to be a long road to recovery for Moon and Indigo, two horses who were starved so badly that their rib cages are visible and their hip bones are protruding from underneath their skin.
The pair was rescued from a Hancock residence last week and brought to recover at the Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary in Aura. It isn't their first time living with the sanctuary's founder, Kristen Hill. Hill first rescued the horses in 2007, but after they got better, they were adopted to a woman who eventually gave them to the couple charged with their abuse.
The sheriff's office has now restored full-ownership to Hill who says she won't let them go again.
"Once I got them home, I gave them a good look-over," says Hill. "My heart's broken, but I’m relieved at the same time that they're home and will be healed again."
Monday morning, 27-year-old Tara Lynn Ahonen and 36-year-old John Patrick Beaudoin were arraigned in Houghton County District Court. Both pled not guilty to the misdemeanor charge of animal abandonment and cruelty.
After court, the couple said they were shocked by the charges. They admitted they didn't know much about raising horses, but they thought they were helping out when they took the animals in last fall.
But Hill doesn't buy it. In addition to starvation, both horses are suffering from worms and cracked hooves. And Indigo has fractured bones below his right eye.
"It takes a long time to get a horse into a condition like this," Hill says. "I think they were starved for a long period of time."
Hill says the horses are already more relaxed and their health should continue to improve over the next few months.
As for Ahonen and Beaudoin, they'll both be back in court for a pretrial hearing on July 26. If convicted they face up to a year in jail.
Case UpdatesThe preliminary hearing for two people facing animal abuse and neglect charges has been delayed to next month.
Tara Lynn Ahonen and John Beudoin were scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing Monday in Houghton District Court.
The couple was charged with misdemeanor animal abandonment and cruelty charges.
They are accused of mistreating two horses which are now being cared for at Eden Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Their preliminary hearing is now on Aug. 16. | Source: WLUC - July 27, 2010
Update posted on Jul 29, 2010 - 2:29AM |
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