Horse neglect Chesapeake, VA (US) Incident Date: Thursday, Oct 7, 2004 County: Chesapeake City Local Map: available Disposition: Dismissed Case Images: 4 files available Person of Interest: Jennifer M. Dudley

Case ID: 3450 Classification: Neglect / Abandonment Animal: horse View more cases in VA (US) Login to Watch this Case

On June 15, 2004 Chesapeake Animal Control received a complaint from a local horse rescue farm regarding two ponies that they had obtained from Jennifer Dudley (WF 30, 800 block of Benefit Road and the 2300 block of Battlefield Boulevard). The owner of the rescue wanted to complain about the condition of the ponies.

Animal control officers had already been working the case involving Jennifer Dudley and one of the ponies, "Jingles", for several weeks. Animal Control Officer Hazlitt had directed the owner to obtain veterinary care for this pony because of its emaciated condition. She had also spoken to the veterinarian who had seen the pony. Dr. Jeffries had recommended floating the teeth and feeding the pony a special diet of soft food 2-3 times per day, because the pony did not have enough teeth to chew feed or hay, or even to pull grass. The veterinarian stated the owners had declined all vaccinations, worming, and floating of teeth. Jennifer Dudley had contacted the Animal Control Coordinator on 6/14/04. Ms. Dudley stated that "they" did not have time to feed the pony 2 times per day as it took her 2 hours to eat. She also declined to "put money into" a pony that was "probably going to die anyway". She felt the pony was thin because it was old. The Coordinator advised Ms. Dudley that failure to properly feed and provide for the pony could resulty in a criminal charge of cruelty to animals.

After speaking with Ms. Seminole of the Blue Horse Maqua Horse Rescue, animal control officers agreed to meet her to view the ponies. Animal Control Officer L. R. Roberson and Animal Control Coordinator K. J. Strouse responded to the rescue located in the 1400 block of West Road on 6/16/04. There they found not only "Jingles", a buckskin, but a second pony, an appaloosa. Ms. Seminole, stated she and an assistant had picked the ponies up from Jennifer Dudley, who stated she wanted to give them to the rescue, on the evening of 6/14/04. Ms. Seminole stated that Ms. Dudley had attempted to have her sign some sort of paper, but she had refused. Ms. Seminole stated that she did, however, keep the paper and had placed it in a file in which she was keeping all of the photographs and information on these two ponies.

At the time the officers arrived, Ms. Seminole stated the farrier, Chuck Lauchner, had just left. He had trimmed the hooves on both ponies. His written report stated he had found the hooves to be "excessively long". Both ponies showed signs of "chronic laminitis". The frogs on both ponies were recessed, and both ponies had thrush. Continued treatment would be necessary. When Coordinator Strouse contacted him later by phone, she learned that Mr. Lauchner was a Virginia Beach police officer. He stated he had been with the mounted patrol division for 12 years, had been a farrier for 3 years, and the official farrier for the Virginia Beach Mounted Patrol for the past 2 1/2 years.

The veterinarian, Dr. Henderson, arrived. She found that the appaloosa had sores on both of her sides near the udders. Dr. Henderson also determined that the pony was likely blind in her right eye and had limited sight in her left eye due to chronic uveitis. This painful condition had caused redness, swelling and drainage from both eyes. Dr. Henderson prescribed medication and floated the teeth on the appaloosa.

Dr. Henderson declined to float the teeth or to vaccinate Jingles, the bucksin. She felt the pony was too debilitated. She would float the very few remaining teeth at a later time to make her more comfortable. She did not expect the floating to improve her ability to chew. In the meantime, she prescribed a good senior diet of soft food 2-3 times per day.

The animal control officers took photographs of both ponies. They condition scored the appaloosa at a 5 on the Henneke Body Condition Scoring System chart. They scored "Jingles", the bucksin at a 1.5.

Officer Roberson secured two charges of cruelty to animals against Jennifer Dudley. The case was delayed until December. During that time, the officers maintained contact with the rescue. Ms. Seminole reported that it took the pony approximately 20 minutes to eat a meal. Officer Roberson paid a visit to the rescue to verify this information. The pony began to gain weight. The sores healed on the appaloosa. The redness and irritation in her eyes greatly improved.

On 10/7/04, Ms. Seminole telephoned the Animal Control office and advised Coordinator Strouse that the file on both ponies was missing from the cabinet in her tack room. She filed a burlary report. No arrests were made.

The case was finally heard in the Circuit Court of Chesapeake on December 9, 2004. A number of witnesses testified for the Commonwealth including Dr. Henderson, Ms. Seminole, Officer Lauchner, and Coordinator Strouse. At the time of trial, "Jingles" had gained approximately 300 pounds.

Although the witnesses were excluded from the courtroom, spectators reported that defense witnesses offered testimony accusing the Commonwealth of altering photographs, substituting photographs of other ponies, and that Ms. Seminole had given the ponies steroids.

Commonwealth Attorney Amy James argued passionately that the clear facts of the improvement of both ponies proved the case-- that "Jingles" had been starved and the appaloosa have been deprived of veterinary care. "Someone simply had to feed her; someone simply had to care".

In the end, however, although the judge found that the ponies had not received proper care, he did not find that Jennifer Dudley had willfully failed to care for them. He dismissed both charges.

The ponies remain with the rescue and continue to do very well.

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References

	Docket Number 04-3161 T 3162
	Case Files of ACO Roberson and Coordinator Strouse

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