Horse neglect, two found dead - Saint Charles, VA

Monday, Jul 10, 2006

A St. Charles man is free under a $10,000 secured bond and others are expected to be charged for allegedly allowing two horses under their care to starve to death and 12 others to become severely malnourished.

Grant Bloomer, 37, Route 1, Box 313, St. Charles, was charged late July 10 with 14 counts of animal cruelty after authorities investigating a complaint on his horses the week before found two animals dead in their stalls and a dozen others severely emaciated in a small, grassless lot.

Sheriff Gary Parsons said Tuesday afternoon that his office was working to identify others involved with the horses so they may be charged as well.

Parsons said an investigation was launched Friday when a concerned citizen called the Lee County Animal Control office to request a check on the horses. The sheriff said his office became involved after the animal control officer made an initial check on the animals and saw their condition.

Deputy Michael Peters, who obtained the initial warrants, said the animal control officer went to the scene about 2 p.m. on Friday and found five severely malnourished horses in a grassless lot, about one-half acre in size, and nine others in small, filthy stalls inside a barn. Of those in the barn, one was dead and another was near death. After seeing the condition of the animals, he returned to Jonesville to discuss the situation with other authorities, and the sheriff's office became involved.

Peters said he returned to the site about 7 p.m. with the animal control officer. By the time they arrived, he said, a second horse had died.

The deputy said while the animals had some hay available, only limited amounts of water was available in buckets, and grain or sweet feed was not available for any of the horses.

While authorities were obtaining warrants for Bloomer, he had the animals returned to their former owner, Ken Ayers, of Ewing, said Parsons. Bloomer was charged on Monday, he added.

The sheriff said Bloomer claimed to have bought the horses from Ayers, and Ayers alleges that Bloomer still owed some money from the deal. Once the investigation began, Bloomer called Ayers, and the two transported the horses back to Ayers' Ewing farm, Parsons said.

Peters said Bloomer claimed to have had some of the animals for approximately nine months, while he'd only had others for about a month. He also said he had ownership of one of the dead horses for only a month, the deputy added.

Parsons said since the horses have been taken to another farm where they can be better cared for, his office has not seized them. He added that his officers will be keeping check on them to be sure they are being properly cared for. When officers checked on the horses Tuesday, Ayers was feeding and providing medical care to them, he said.

"They've not been seized now, but we know where they are, and we'll be checking on them regularly. If Mr. Bloomer tries to get them back, we will seize them until the end of the court proceedings," said Parsons.

Case Updates

References

• Kingsport Times-News - July 13, 2006
• WAVY - July 13, 2006
• WCYB - July 13, 2006
• WVEC - July 13, 2006
• Daily Press - July 13, 2006

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