Animal Abuse: Two donkeys dragged behind vehicle - Newcastle, TX

Cruelty Database » Case Details

Case Snapshot

Case ID: 18061

Classification: Vehicular

Animal: other farm animal

More cases in Young County, TX

More cases in TX

Animal was bound

« Back to Search Results

Login to Watch this Case

Two donkeys dragged behind vehicle
Newcastle, TX (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Jun 5, 2011
County: Young

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Joyce Owen
» Eldon Ray Marsh

One donkey has died, and her son is recovering after investigators say they were dragged behind two pickups Sunday in Newcastle. Joyce Owen, 63, and Eldon Ray Marsh, 74, Executive Director Kim Baxter said the scene was horrible. "The mother was scraped up and very sore and had trouble walking, the baby had some nicks and cuts… They said they were moving them there's a difference between having a donkey trot beside a vehicle and dragging it down the road."

The animals were in a great deal of pain, according to Baxter. She said the alleged actions of Owen and Marsh amount to torture in her mind. "They said they were moving them. There's a difference between having a donkey trot beside a vehicle and dragging it down the road," said Baxter.

Early Tuesday morning, the mother, named Butter, passed away - leaving her one year old son, Peanut, orphaned. "He was very lost without his mother. He was braying a lot, making a lot of noise… just didn't understand what was happening, why she wasn't there," said Baxter.

Since the passing of the mother, efforts have been focused on nursing little Peanut back to health. "His (injuries) were not nearly as severe as his mother, he did have a good chunk missing from his front knee and scrapes on both his front legs and back of his front legs," she said.

The biggest battle has been earning his trust. "We're working with him every day, touching him every day. he hadn't had a lot of good Human contact. So we touch him every day, lead him around. He's going to be going into a foster home hopefully next week… He's learning to trust us, he's a little hard to catch right now, but once we have him he calms down and we can touch him," she said.

Baxter is confident Peanut will make a full recovery. "Animals bounce back from things like this. They forgive, and they move on when they have love and compassion and that's what he'll get from now on," she said.

Baxter is pressing law enforcement to upgrade the charges against the two to

« Back to Search Results
« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Young County, TX

Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.

Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy

Two donkeys dragged behind vehicleNewcastle, TX (US)

Two donkeys dragged behind vehicle
Newcastle, TX (US)