Oxen abused Durham, CT (US)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 26, 2003 County: Middlesex Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: David Ferris
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The oxen pull, a popular attraction at many country fairs, has led to an animal cruelty charge against a Woodbury man. David Ferris, 30, was arrested after competing with one of his oxen teams at the Durham Fair. The long-running agriculture event is in its 84th year and runs through Sunday. State agriculture officials received a complaint the day before and sent a plainclothes animal control officer to observe the first heat of the event, acting state Agriculture Commissioner Bruce Gresczyk said.
"He had enough probable cause to take action," Gresczyk said.
The specifics of the case have not been released.
If convicted of the Class A misdemeanor, Ferris faces one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. He was released on a promise to appear and is due back in Middlesex Superior Court on Oct. 10.
Gresczyk said pulling animals have been abused in a variety of ways.
For example, electric cattle prods are sometimes used before the competition to keep the animals on edge. Agriculture officials have also found drugs in the systems of horses used in heavy pulling contests. Handlers have also been known to give animals a diarrhetic before a contest to drop them to a lower weight class. Drugs have also been given to mask an injury, Gresczyk said.
"There are rules and they have to be followed," Gresczyk said. "If we get a complaint, we follow through."
Charles Barrasso, president of the Association of Connecticut Fairs, said the association has rules to ensure the humane treatment of animals in contests.
"This is something that doesn't happen very often," Barrasso said. "People understood that you don't mistreat an animal. After all, he's the one that's doing the work for you." Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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