Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Horse neglect

Horse neglect
Brewton, AL (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Mar 29, 2005
County: Escambia
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted
Charges: Misdemeanor

Abuser/Suspect: Larry Quates

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Case ID: 4281

Classification: Neglect / Abandonment

Animal: horse

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Larry Quates of 5021 Ridge Road in Brewton was arrested and charged with four counts of animal cruelty on March 29. The Humane Society and the Alabama Department of Agriculture had both received complaints about horses that looked to be severely emaciated and injured, according to officials. Cpt. Gerald McGough, criminal investigator, and Renee Jones, Humane Society cruelty investigator, along with Humane Society Officers Janet Beall and Kristy Lambeth responded to the call on Monday, April 1.

After further investigation, which involved taking statements from local veterinarians, the decision was made on March 20 to seize two of the horses that were judged to be in danger of imminent death.

The horses were contained in a three to four-acre lot with no grass, no hay and no central water source, and the lot was heavily contaminated with feces, Jones said.

According to Jones, the vet report stated that the horses were "down due to dehydration and starvation."

Jones said when a horse goes down you have to get them up. While it may not be unusual for a horse to be seen down, in most cases, horses that stay down are so weak they are unable to get up. Quates had made a makeshift sling placed around the Palomino horse in an attempt to keep him up.

The two horses confiscated were Cherokee, a male Palomino, and Katie, a paint mare. Both were moved to a secure location where vet-directed treatment began immediately. The remaining horses have been kept under close supervision at Quates' home.

Despite efforts to maintain the lives of the horses, Katie sustained such massive injuries the vet recommended she be euthanized. Katie was put down on Thursday. Cherokee will be touch and go for at least two to three weeks, Jones said.

Case Updates

A man who was arrested and charged with animal cruelty in March pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges, Humane Society cruelty investigator Renee Jones said this week.
Jones said that the Humane Society received a restitution check in the mail from Larry Quates of Ridge Road.

Jones said in an interview Wednesday afternoon that according to a plea summary, Quates had been arrested by an officer with the Department of Agriculture who charged him with animal cruelty. The case had been set for a bench trial and after several continuations,
Quates pleaded guilty on Sept. 6 to cruelty to animals. He also received a six month suspended jail sentence, had to pay a $2,000 fine and two years of unsupervised probation, Jones said. Quates was also ordered to pay the Humane Society $345 in restitution.

In March, Capt. Gerald McGough, criminal investigator, Jones, and Humane Society Officers Janet Beall and Kristy Lambeth responded to a call about animal cruelty. Neighbors had complained to both departments that horses on Quates' property looked to be severely emaciated and injured. After further investigation, which involved taking statements from local veterinarians who had treated two horses, the decision was made to seize two of the horses that were judged to be in danger of imminent death. At the time, Quates had said the horses were sick and that was the reason they were so thin. Quates eventually surrendered the horses.
However, while at the Humane Society the next morning, it was determined by a veterinarian that the down horses were due to dehydration and starvation. Jones said that one of the horses, Katie, a paint mare, had to be put down because she was �too far gone.�

Cherokee, a male Palomino, was given vitamin B injections, fed adequate hay, de-wormed and given several shots. Cherokee stayed at the Humane Society for 10 days and was adopted out to a family where he remains today. �This is an absolutely gorgeous horse now,� Jones said. �This horse is still definitely thin but nothing at all like he was. (The horses) were in horrendous condition because they were being starved. Not even eight weeks later, just feeding him, he got better. The sickness was starvation.� Jones said that there were other horses on Quates' property that were his, but they weren't as bad looking as the two seized. �He had other horses that were thin but not as severe,� she said. �With a herd, the stronger ones tend to push the weaker ones aside. If you don't have adequate pasture you have to feed them (with hay).�

The purpose of the Humane Society, Jones said, is to seize animals that are in imminent danger. She said that people often had a misconception about the Humane Society. �I think it's important the people know we don't sell animals for a profit off of seizing people's animals,� she said.

Source: The Brewton Standard - December 4, 2005
Update posted on Dec 4, 2005 - 4:54PM

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The Brewton Standard - April 4, 2005

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Horse neglectBrewton, AL (US)

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Horse neglect
Brewton, AL (US)