Case Details

4 horses found dead, 9 starving
Columbus, IN (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, May 25, 2006
County: Bartholomew
Local Map: available
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available

Alleged: Terry Baxter

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Case ID: 8876
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: horse
View more cases in IN (US)
Login to Watch this Case

A Columbus man is under arrest on preliminary charges of animal cruelty. 61-year-old Terry Baxter may also face additional charges after authorities found four dead horses on his property in Bartholomew County. Nine others were starving.

An animal control officer at the scene said it was the worst case he'd ever seen, while an animal rights group said other animals were also neglected.

"it was atrocious. I saw no water, anywhere. I saw no feed. I saw no feed, no hay. That's a lot of animals not to have," said Shirley Smith of the Indiana Hooved Animal Humane Society.

Authorities say Baxter could face animal cruelty charges as well. He also has previous convictions for animal cruelty.

Case Updates

About 15 people came to the County Council meeting intending to ask Nash what more could be done to punish Terry Baxter, 60, for his suspected cruelty to horses.

But Nash did not attend be-cause the unrelated issue he was scheduled to discuss was postponed.

Shirley Smith, who, along with her husband, runs the Indiana Hooved Animal Humane Society, told the council that Baxter should be given a harsh sentence and not be allowed to own more horses.

She said the people who lived with Baxter should be charged for not doing something about the cruelty.

Nash has said Baxter is being charged to the fullest extent of the law, but the law does not allow for anyone other than the animals� owner to be charged with a crime.

Baxter of Georgetown Road faces four counts each of failure to properly dispose of a dead animal, a Class D felony, and animal cruelty, a Class B misdemeanor.

The charges stem from a May 25 incident in which four horses were found dead and nine others badly malnourished and lice-infested on Baxter�s property, according to authorities.
Source: The Republic - June 14, 2006
Update posted on Jun 14, 2006 - 2:18PM 
Additional charges were filed Friday against a Columbus man in connection with the starving and dead horses found on his property in late May.

Terry Baxter, 60, of Georgetown Road, faces three additional counts of failure to properly dispose of a dead animal, a Class D felony and three additional counts of animal cruelty, a Class B misdemeanor.

Tuesday, Baxter was charged with one count of improper disposal and one count of cruelty.

�We�re prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law that is available for these crimes,� said Prosecutor Bill Nash.
Source: The Republic - June 10, 2006
Update posted on Jun 14, 2006 - 12:29AM 
Baxter was convicted of animal neglect in 1994 and served probation. In 1998, he was convicted on four counts of animal cruelty and received a 180-day jail sentence with all but 30 days suspended. �(Baxter) has a blatant disregard for the law and for animals,� said animal control officer Trudi Smith. �We presented our evidence. It�s in the hands of the law now.�


Officers said they also found neglected goats and sheep. �The horses had nowhere to go and no grass to eat,� said Capt. T.A. Smith, lead investigator for BCSD. �They were not being fed; the fur was off of them down to their calloused skin and their bones were protruding.�


Shirley and Sam Smith of the Indiana Hooved Animal Humane Society rescued the horses. The Smiths kept the three in poorest condition, a thoroughbred mare and two miniature horses, and fostered out the remaining rescues. �The mare was knee deep in mud,� said Shirley Smith. �It just breaks my heart to know that someone could let this happen. I wonder how many horses in (Baxter�s) hands have died. There needs to be a stop to it.� The Smiths have spent the past few weeks cleaning and removing lice from the equines and letting them eat as much hay and oats as they want, said Smith. �It�s amazing how differently they look since we got them, but they�ve still got a long way to go,� said Smith. She said for the first several days after her rescue, the mare was violently protective of her newfound territory, a clean pen. �She�d rush the (pen) door and raise a fit and try to shake you,� she said. �She was so scared you were going to take it away from her. �Now she�s much different. She still isn�t very people friendly yet, but she�s calmed down a lot.�


When the mare gains enough strength, the Smiths will clean her teeth and trim her hooves. �We can�t put her under that yet because she�s too weak,� Smith said. �She�ll die.� The Smiths have been rescuing horses for more than 20 years. �They keep calling and we keep taking them,� she said. �I can�t turn a horse in need away. It�s never ending.� The horses are not yet up for adoption, but the Smiths need oats, hay, fly spray and monetary donations for vaccinations.


Donations can be made to the Indiana Hooved Animal Humane Society and sent to Smith at 6400 S. Road 650W, Columbus, 47201.
Or to any Premier Ag Cooperative in the name of Indiana Hooved Animal Humane Society. Contact Sam and Shirley Smith, 342-3002.
Source: The Republic News - June 7, 2006
Update posted on Jun 11, 2006 - 10:20AM 

Neighborhood Map

For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.

Back to Top

Add this case to:   Del.icio.us | Digg | Furl Furl |

References

WTHR  - June 8, 2006

Add to GoogleNot sure what these icons mean? Click here.

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.



Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2007 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy