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CONVICTED: Was justice served?
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Case #5433 Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2004
County: Wyoming
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Scott Pensak
A Factoryville man who sold four horses after their care alarmed animal activists was found guilty of cruelty to animals. Magisterial District Judge Russell Shurtleff of Factoryville fined Scott Pensak, 23, of Creek Road $200 in mid-August and found him guilty of cruelty to animals in a controversy involving horses that had no shelter.
Tina Walter, a humane officer with the Lackawanna County Humane Society, said the organization began receiving complaints last March after people driving along Route 6 in Clinton Township, Wyoming County, noticed the horses had no quarters.
"We tried to work with him," Ms. Walter said. "We gave him time to get them shelter."
Mr. Pensak entered two verbal agreements to provide shelter for the animals, but never followed through, Ms. Walter said.
A cruelty to animals complaint was filed June 15 before Judge Shurtleff and Mr. Pensak pleaded not guilty July 7, according to court records. Ms. Walter said the complaint was filed because the animals were unable to get out of the sun or avoid the elements.
During a hearing Aug. 3, the judge ordered Mr. Pensak to provide shelter for the horses within two weeks. When Mr. Pensak appeared at a follow-up hearing Thursday, he produced a bill of sale proving he had sold the four horses.
The judge said he found Mr. Pensak guilty of cruelty to animals because Mr. Pensak ignored the requests of the Humane Society and failed to act until the court case was filed. Mr. Pensak also was ordered to pay court costs of $126.
Ms. Walter said there were no allegations that the horses were mistreated, although she said one was underweight.
"There were a lot of people interested in this case," Ms. Walter said. "A lot of animal rights people were calling me because it was horses, I guess."
References
« PA State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Wyoming County, PA