The Scott County district attorney general's office is pursuing animal cruelty charges against the operators of a farm in Oneida. Mountain Dew Farms is located on Stanley Creek Road in Oneida, about 65 miles northwest of Knoxville. After getting a complaint from someone trying to buy horses from Mountain Dew Farms, a group called Horse Haven of Tennessee went to the site to investigate. The group took some pictures showing horse carcasses on the property. In one picture, there are only skeletal remains. Another picture shows a skeleton with other bones lying on the property.
Horse Haven of Tennessee says their members found five dead horses and two dead goats. "It was absolutely, not only was it terribly disgusting to smell and look at, to know that it was in 20 feet on the front door of that house, that whoever pulled in there and got out and went to that house, there it laid," says Nina Margetson, Horse Haven. "What we witnessed was that the people did not care. They left the animals to fend for themselves, whether it be the dogs or the cats or the horses. They were just left to roam free." "There's no excuse for it," Margetson adds. "Animals are defenseless. They rely on us to take care of them." Margetson says she tried for the last 12 days to get animal cruelty charges filed against the owners of Mountain Dew Farms, Val and Donnie Moody.
On February 13, 2006, the DA's office says it plans to file animal abuse charges against them. 6 News has learned the Scott County Sheriff's Office has recently charged both Moodys with aggravated child abuse and neglect. The chief deputy says it's because of filthy, dangerous conditions their children were living in. "We're a part of the animal abuse task force here in Knoxville and that domestic link between animal abuse and child abuse is very very real," Margetson says.
Donnie and Val Moody have been arraigned on the child abuse and neglect charges and posted bail. Their court dates aren't set yet. The surviving horses have been removed from the farm by a Moody family member. The Moodys' children are now in the care of relatives. Case UpdatesThe owners of Mountain Dew Farms, Val and Donnie Moody, have pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty.
They made the plea in court in Scott County.
The animal cruelty charges came after a group called Horse Haven of Tennessee got a complaint from someone trying to buy horses from Mountain Dew Farms.
Horse Haven went to the farms to investigate and took some pictures showing horse carcasses on the property. In one picture, there were only skeletal remains. Another picture showed a skeleton with other bones lying on the property.
Horse Haven said their members found five dead horses and two dead goats.
The Moodys also both pleaded guilty to one count of child neglect, for allowing filthy living conditions at their home.
They will both get probation. | Source: WATE - March 2, 2006
Update posted on Mar 6, 2006 - 4:18AM |
Neighborhood MapFor more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Back to Top References« TN State Animal Cruelty Map
|
