40 animals found sick, malnourished
Hinkley, CA (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Jun 30, 2011
County: San Bernardino

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» William Brian Stovall
» Terrance Preston Stovall
» Chris Lee Gardner

Deputies arrested three Hinkley residents on suspicion of animal cruelty at their home Thursday night after responding to a call of an unknown person attempting to steal a dog from their property.

Deputies arrested William Stovall, 51, Terrance Stovall, 45, and Chris Gardner, 37, on suspicion of animal cruelty that are not malicious or with intent to maim. Sgt. Tim Jimerson of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department had said the charges were given because of the chaining of dogs, lack of shelter, and lack of food and water for the animals on the property.

According to a report from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, deputies arrived at the Hinkley residence after receiving a report of an unidentified man attempting to steal a dog from the Stovall's property at 7 p.m. There was no evidence supporting the attempted theft.

The unidentified man had noticed a malnourished dog chained to the yard with no food or water. Due to the condition of the property and the animal, he thought the dog had been abandoned along with the home and tried to remove the dog from the property to receive medical attention, according to the report.

Deputies found 40 dogs chained or in pens in various locations of the property. According to Lenore Downing - a relative of the three suspects - Terrence Stovall and his 12-year-old nephew, David, were creating enough pens for the dogs who were still chained with the intent to separate the male dogs from the females to prevent mating.

All the dogs that are on the property are rescue animals found near their residence after their owners abandoned them on Highway 58, according to Downing.

Downing pointed to the dog that the unidentified man tried to take. "(Healer) is a good dog. She's happy and being taken care of but she hasn't been able to gain any weight for the past three years we've had her."

She says when the family took in Healer, they found her with her throat slit from the previous owners.

Downing does not want to bring the dogs to the humane society for fear they'll put them down. She will however allow people to adopt the dogs as long as they promise to not abandon them. The family is also asking for any donations of food, money, and materials to build more dog pens.

"If people want to adopt a dog they have to promise to love and cherish it," Downing says. "We'll take anything... even just a helping hand."

The Stovall's property has had problems in the past with the same alleged charges. Mardell Stovall Jr. and his sister, Cindy Downing, were arrested in October last year for animal cruelty and Mardell Stovall Sr. was found guilty of operating an illegal kennel and cattery in 2005. The conviction was later dropped when Stovall Sr. agreed to reduce the number of animals on the property.

William Stovall, Terrance Stovall, and Chris Gardner had informed deputies that they have had 72 cases of animal neglect and various animal-related county code violations pending. The three suspects were booked at the Barstow Jail with a $25,000 bail and are scheduled for a pre-preliminary hearing on Tuesday for the charges.

Those who wish to adopt a dog or to help the residence may call Lenore Downing at 760-267-0918.

References

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