FLORIDA -- An elderly rancher was charged with 32 counts of animal neglect after Miami-Dade police said they found more than 300 malnourished horses, parrots, llamas, deer and ducks on his 10-acre farm.
Andrew Bloom, 69, was arrested Wednesday and released Thursday morning on $96,000 bail.
Neighbors have filed several complaints over the past 10 years about the condition of Bloom's animals, said Sgt. Sheree DiBernardo of the Miami-Dade Agricultural Unit.
Officers were able to obtain a search warrant Wednesday after a veterinarian reported that malnourished horses could be seen on the property, DiBernardo said.
A detective found horses with visible rib cages, unlicensed deer, exotic birds and potbellied pigs living on the property, DiBernardo said.
The ranch was littered with animal feces, animal skulls and stagnant watering holes, she said.
REPEAT OFFENDER
Bloom was acquitted on similar charges in 1994, records show.
(Sun Sentinel - August 2, 2002)