Case Details


Case Snapshot
Case ID: 1884
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: cat, dog (non pit-bull), horse, bird (wildlife), reptile, goat
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Case #1884 Rating: 2.3 out of 5



Neglect of horses, cats, dogs, birds, reptiles
Lakeland, FL (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 6, 2004
County: Polk

Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 1 files available

Defendants/Suspects:
» Cheryl A. Semprini
» Rachel Semprini

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Seven American quarter horses, including a reserve world champion, were found neglected and abused at a Lakeland home Tuesday, Polk sheriff's deputies say.

On Wednesday, veterinarian Anthony Weirather was trying to nurse the horses back to health at the Polk County Sheriff's Office farm. "It's just sick," Weirather said.

Manure was caked on the horses' coats and throughout their manes and tails. The horses, which range in age from 3 to 9 years, had been kept in a small barn and carport at the Estate Road home of Cheryl Semprini, 48, and Rachel Semprini, 18, who were arrested Tuesday.

The Lakeland mother and daughter both posted $10,000 bail and were released from the Polk County Jail.

More than a dozen cats and dogs that were living on the same property as the horses were being cared for by Polk County Animal Services. Deputies also found chickens, snakes, geese, turkeys and a goat during the Tuesday raid.

But not every animal came out alive.

Deputies also found dead cats, birds and turtles inside the house, according to Michal Shanley, spokeswoman for the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Photographs taken by a Polk detective of the home show rooms and a trailer cluttered with garbage, boxes and feces.

In one bedroom, which deputies dubbed "the cat room," animal feces covered furniture, including the bed. Other pictures taken by the detective show dead cats lying in a room with stacked garbage and boxes.

The evidence photos also show ribbons from horse competitions hanging on a wall.

One of the Semprinis' horses -named Hes (pronounced Hees) Doubly Sonny -- was named a reserve world champion in 1996, said sheriff's Detective Shawn Stephenson.

On Wednesday, Hes Doubly Sonny's coat appeared to be in better condition than most of the other horses, but his hooves were neglected, and he was underfed.

Horse enthusiast Colette Guy said her husband and Cheryl Semprini partnered to show Hes Doubly Sonny in 1996. Guy said she was stunned to learn of the arrest and condition of the horses.

"It makes me sick," Guy said. "He was absolutely the prettiest horse I ever had."

Guy said she offered Semprini money to buy the horse in the past, but Semprini said she wouldn't sell. Guy said she also knows of a trainer who offered Semprini $50,000 for Hes Doubly Sonny, but again, she wouldn't sell. Guy didn't know why Semprini would neglect the horses after taking such good care of them.

"She knows better," Guy said. "She knows how to take good care of a horse."

Weirather said the horses were standing in two feet of feces on the floor at the time of their removal.

"It was a sewage swamp in the stalls," he said.

Another horse's hooves had grown about 11 inches too long, mimicking the look of shoes and causing the horse to walk awkwardly, workers at the farm said.

The extended hoofs were cut back Wednesday with an electric saw.

Weirather said it will probably take six months for the horses to return to good health. Although the horses were being fed, they weren't eating enough, he said.

Weirather described the scene as one of the worst cases of animal neglect he has seen. "I've never seen anything like it," he said. "It was unreal. "Nobody in their right mind would keep animals in this condition."

Investigators learned of the Semprinis after receiving an anonymous tip, Shanley said.

Cheryl Semprini, who works in a nursing home, told a detective she'd recently divorced and wasn't able to keep up with the animals anymore, Shanley said.

She faces 10 counts of animal cruelty.

Rachel Semprini, who works as a sales clerk at a pet store, also faces 10 counts of animal cruelty. The pet store is not involved in the Sheriff's Office investigation, Shanley said.

Many of the animals were taken to the Sheriff's Office farm in Bartow, where they will be nursed back to health.

Shanley said the animals will stay at the farm until a judge decides what to do with them.

It will be a lengthy process, she said, and it could be months before a decision is made. The cats and dogs will also stay in county custody, said Eddy de Castro, director of animal services.

The animals are under medical care at the shelter and are not available for adoption right now, de Castro said.


Case Updates

When deputies found Hes Doubly Sonny in a stall 10 inches deep in dried manure, he was underfed, had no water and walked with a limp.

It was no place for a world champion.

But two years have made all the difference for this palomino stallion, which will leave the custody of his rescuers on a Sheriff's Office farm and find a new home Saturday. Sonny -- as he's commonly called -- was one of seven American quarter horses found abused and neglected at a north Lakeland home in January 2004. A veterinarian who first treated the animals called their home a "sewage swamp," and a deputy noted Sonny was in visible pain.

His owner, Cheryl Semprini, pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty in November 2004 and was sentenced to five years' probation. She could not be reached for comment.

Since his rescue, the palomino -- named for his color -- has been nursed back to health at a county-owned ranch by deputies, jail inmates, even a crime-scene technician who volunteers her time.

Sonny's once-matted mane and tail are now cream-colored and flowing; his tan coat glistens with gold highlights in the sun; his hooves -- which had grown several inches too long -- are now cut to shape. He is free of parasites and up-to-date on vaccines.

He may not be in quite the shape he was during his show days, but he's still a beautiful horse, crime-scene technician Lisa Davis said.

"He still has his really gold color. I think people are going to be impressed," said Davis, who coincidentally, owns one of Sonny's offspring.

It is difficult not to notice Sonny in the modest sheriff's stalls. He does not blend in with the other rescued horses. He commands a presence.

One of Sonny's original stall-mates was euthanized, and the others have long been sold. But because of legal appeals, the Sheriff's Office hasn't been able to auction Sonny until now.

Sonny has spent his days on the oak-shaded farm next to a county jail in Bartow, where he has lived beside other animals seized by the Sheriff's Office -- ostriches, goats, sheep, roosters, cows, horses and potbellied pigs"He always does the inspections of all the animals. They know he's the boss," said Sgt. Tim Glover, who oversees the sheriff's agriculture-crimes unit. So far, Sonny has cost the Sheriff's Office more than $5,000 in food and vet bills.

Sonny's also got a bit of an attitude -- "He's large and he's in charge," Glover said.

Sonny's attitude is nothing new to Colette Guy, who along with her husband partnered with Semprini to show Sonny during the mid-1990s

"He's very busy and very obnoxious. He was a handful," Guy said. "He's a stallion. When he's fed and conditioned, he's a lot of horse."

Guy watched Sonny's growth from a yearling to a large, powerful 2-year-old who repeatedly won his class at palomino shows.

"He looked like a movie-star horse. He was so pretty," she said. "You couldn't help but say, 'Wow, that horse is beautiful.' "

Guy said Sonny entered at least one show a month and failed to win only three times during the two years they worked with him.

The Guys once offered Semprini $30,000 for Sonny, and another trainer offered her $50,000, she said. But Semprini wouldn't sell.

Guy said horses such as Sonny earn points -- not money -- when they win shows. The more points, the more valuable the horse for breeding purposes. Sonny was bred a handful of times when Guy was involved with Semprini, but she did not know what came of his stud service after the two parted ways.

Guy estimates a horse such as Sonny could breed with 25 to 50 mares a year at $1,000 to $2,500 each.

Semprini no longer lives in the north Lakeland home where she kept her horses when the Sheriff's Office discovered them, and attempts to contact her were unsuccessful.

Court documents show Semprini told a Polk detective she had recently divorced and had been having a difficult time economically. Semprini said she knew she needed to "cut back on what I've got" and she planned to sell four of her horses.

That is part of what makes Sonny's story all the more disheartening, Guy said.

Someone would have bought Sonny from her. And Semprini knew how to properly care for a horse of Sonny's caliber, Guy said.

"They're pampered. He was fed a lot. He went from that to starving -- that's pretty rotten," Guy said.

"I can't believe he's been through all the things he's been through."
Source: CBS Chicago - Nov 17, 2006
Update posted on Nov 18, 2006 - 11:25AM 
Cheryl Semprini and Rachel Semprini, 19, pleaded guilty to five counts each of animal cruelty and were sentenced Tuesday (Nov 16) to five years' probation.

As part of the plea deal, the State Attorney's Office agreed to drop 28 additional counts of animal cruelty against Cheryl Semprini and 22 additional counts of animal cruelty against Rachel Semprini.

The women are eligible for early release from probation after two years provided they follow the requirements of their probation. Cheryl Semprini also agreed to pay $11,934 in restitution.

Polk Circuit Judge Dick Prince agreed to withhold adjudication, a formal finding of guilt that strips a person of certain civil rights.
Source: The Ledger Online - Nov 17, 2004
Update posted on Nov 18, 2004 - 5:10PM 

References

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