3 horses neglected, 1 dies
Pine Bluff, AR (US)Date: Dec 19, 2005
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Valerie Lowe
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Misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals have been filed against the caretaker of three horses that officials said were apparently neglected and appeared to be malnourished. One of the horses, a male colt, died December 27, 2005.
The Jefferson County Sheriff�s Department was contacted Dec. 19, 2005 about the neglect of three horses at 438 St. Raphael Road, said Deputy Jason Wood. The officer said he observed two horses �that had been neglected and appeared to be undernourished. There was also a male colt that was underfed and appeared to have no nourishment.�
Wood quoted the caretaker Valerie Lowe, also known as Valerie Washington, as saying she had been feeding the animals off and on. She had taken a bale of hay to the property about a month earlier, and had not been back, the incident report stated. Lowe was quoted as saying she would feed the horses.
The deputy returned to the property Dec. 21, 2005 and found the colt in a weak condition. Also, the horses apparently still had not been fed, the report stated. When contacted by the deputy that day, Lowe said she would give the horses to Blue Bonnet Humane Society. Hours later, the colt was receiving IV fluids and was in critical condition, said Tina Shalmy, Arkansas representative for Blue Bonnet.
The colt�s condition became much worse, she said. He was unable to stand, had difficulty breathing and had a high fever. He was suffering from �major complications from malnourishment,� she said. That night, two officers from Blue Bonnet made the decision to have the colt euthanized, after a veterinarian said he would not live through the night. The decision was made �so he would not suffer,� Shalmy said.
The other two horses were recovering, and will be placed in foster care soon. Within three to four months, both horses are expected to be at normal weight, she said.
Sheriff�s department Maj. Greg Bolin said the caretaker was charged with three counts of cruelty to animals, a Class A misdemeanor. She was allowed to sign the citations and was given a court date of 9 a.m. December 3, 2006 in Jefferson County District Court. If convicted, she could be fined up to $1,000 and sentenced to a year in jail, Bolin said. 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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