On Sunday September 18, 2005 the Whitemarsh Police Department, WPD, stopped two double deck cattle trailers belonging to Three Hills Rodeo, Bernard, Iowa for violating the PA Horse Transport Law, Title 18, 5511(e.1). The first double deck cattle trailer had 17 horses and an undetermined number of bulls and the second double deck trailer had four horses in the nose deck, eleven on the top deck, and four more horses in the rear of the trailer, known as the `doghouse'. The bulls were on the bottom deck of the trailer. David Morehead, 50, and Matthew Delarm, 26, both of Bernard, Iowa were issued one citation each that carries a minimum fine of $50.00 and a maximum fine of $750.00, ninety days in jail, and or forfeiture of the horses involved. A second conviction under this section is a misdemeanor which would result in a permanent criminal record for anyone convicted of violating the PA Horse Transport Law a second time.
The Equine Protection Network, EPN, received a call from an alert horse owner who knowing that double deck trailers were illegal in Pennsylvania to transport horses did exactly what we are asking people to do. She looked inside the double deck trailers that were headed eastbound on the PA Turnpike. "This citizen knew to obtain the license plate and the name on the trucks. Without her information this violation would have gone unpunished", stated Christine Berry of the EPN. The EPN was able to determine who owned the double deck trailers and their likely destination. The EPN provided the information to the PA State Police and the Whitemarsh Police Department, Lafayette Hills, PA made the arrests on September 18, 2005.
The EPN has since been advised by a citizen who filed a complaint in 2004 that horses were being loaded onto double deck trailers at this very same location a year ago with no action being taken against the violator(s) to the best of their knowledge. In February the EPN, and the Large Animal Protection Society, LAPS, partnered to distribute PA Horse Transport Law cards to the public. The EPN is expanding our program of transport law cards to include, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Virginia in an effort to increase awareness and enforcement of these states' laws prohibiting the use of double deck trailers to transport any horse, no matter what its final destination. References« Back to Search Results Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges. For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.
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