An El Mirage man has been arrested as part of an investigation into the alleged abuse of more than two dozen farm animals at remote ranch in Surprise, authorities said Friday.
The suspect, Reynaldo Aguilera Pedrego, 59, was booked Thursday on 27 counts of animal cruelty, all misdemeanors. He was released Friday morning without bail.
The charges involve a bull and cow, five horses and 20 goats, said Miriam Carranza, director of animal-cruelty investigations for the Arizona Animal Welfare League. advertisement
The private, non-profit group is offering assistance to Surprise police and officials of the state Department of Agriculture in the ongoing investigation, Carranza said.
Authorities believe the animals are unhealthy because they are being fed hay that is very moldy, Carranza said.
In addition, the hooves on some of the goats and horses are severely overgrown and need to be trimmed, she said.
Also, one horse has a bad infection, Carranza said.
In jail booking documents, police further alleged that all of the animals were being neglected and that most of them were living in filth.
Care is being given to the animals, said Officer Marci Darrow, a Surprise police spokeswoman. State officials are expected to take custody of the animals and move them to other locations, she added.
The investigation was launched after neighbors told Surprise police about livestock conditions at a ranch in the 17900 block of West Norwich Drive, northwest of U.S. 60 and Deer Valley Road, Darrow said. Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
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