Jean Norton, 67, and Beverly Greenwood, 43, of 2274 Mallalieu Drive, control the day-to-day operations of Choctaw Ridge Farms Rescue in Ruth.
The operation rescues hoofed animals from kill-sale situations, as well as animals surrendered by individuals.
“Cruelty to animals is not necessarily an intentional act. A lack of means leads to neglect,” said Judge Judy Case Martin during her ruling. “I don’t have any doubt you two ladies love those animals. I think your hearts are in the right place, but you need to try not to overload yourselves.”
Hey Judge Martin, why don't you say a few sympathetic words for the animals that suffered at the hands of these two women. Maybe they didn't purposely starve them to death, but they refused to stop bringing home animals, knowing they couldn't afford to care for them all. Animals that needed vet care were denied so these ladies could feed their own selfish needs of being seen as "saviors" to their community. Meanwhile the animals languished and suffered. AND DIED.
Martin withheld final judgement, but placed the women under six months probation. A veterinarian appointed by the court will inspect the farm within the next seven days and make monthly visits during the probation period. The women will be required to implement any changes recommended by the veterinarian within a reasonable time period or face further court action.
The judge ruled the women must pay court costs, but did not levy a fine. She said she would review circumstances at the end of the probation before making that decision.
During his final arguments in Wednesday’s trial, County Prosecutor Brady Kellums suggested the women not be fined.
“We have no doubt about their intent or desire to help animals,”he said. “But the facts are their hearts are bigger than their wallets.”
The charges stemmed from a complaint by the Animal Rescue League in Jackson to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department earlier this year.
In following up on the complaint, Sheriff’s Department Maj.Dustin Bairfield testified he visited the organization’s operations on Mallalieu Road and on leased property on Topisaw Road.
While inspecting the Topisaw Road location on Feb. 17, Bairfield said he found the skeletal remains or carcasses of four horses and a cow.
He said because of the time of year there was no natural vegetative growth for the animals to eat and the grain bins were empty. He estimated 10-15 horses and cows were on the property, but he did not take an inventory.
Kellums had repeatedly asked the defendants how they could pay for the 1.5 tons of feed needed each week. Based on their own records, that resulted in a feed bill of approximately $2,000 to $2,300 per month.
That doesn't include needed veterinary care, farrier care, medication (deworming, etc) as well as basic needs - utilities, water, rent, etc. Jean Norton gets social security checks while Bev Greenwood claims she's disabled and gets disability checks from the government. Where are they getting all this money? The truth is there is NO money and that's why these animals are starving and going without needed vet care and slowly dying one by one and then rotting in the pasture. These two women are vile.
Jean Norton claimed the animals are fed daily and the bins were empty because feed cannot be left for horses because damp feed can cause them to founder.
So where's the hay? Put a roll of hay out there for them. Where was the stored grain and hay? There's no mention of that.
She also detailed the cause of death for each animal, which included pneumonia and animal attacks by wild dogs.
Does she have any vet bills to prove these claims?
Norton admitted, however, that initial attempts to get equipment to bury the animals had failed and they “were going to try to get it done at a later date, but did not get it done.”
So basically they had rotting corpses lying everywhere... which, if she was lying about "wild dogs" roaming, attacking and killing 2,000 pound animals, they would certainly be drawn to a rotting, stinking corpse left lying in the pasture.
Bairfield testified there were no worrisome discrepancies at the Mallalieu Road site.
Testimony then focused on the animals kept on the Topisaw Road property, which Choctaw Ridge Farms no longer leases.
Bairfield said his primary reason in pursuing the charge was for the judge to issue “a form of probation to limit the amount of animals they take in.”
While on the stand, Norton and Greenwood testified to the operation of the farm and its financing.
The farm, which has been in operation for about two years, is in the process of becoming a registered non-profit organization, but the paperwork has not been completed, Norton said.
In the meantime, it is being primarily financed by the personal income of Norton and Greenwood, which is limited to social security and disability.
If this woman BEVERLY GREENWOOD is collecting disability checks and has convinced the government she is too frail/sick to work for a living so you and I are paying for her to stay home, she had better not be out there hauling hay, carrying 50-lb feed sacks, etc. or she needs to be put in jail.
Kellums repeatedly asked the defendants how they could pay for the 1.5 tons of feed needed each week. Based on their own records,that resulted in a feed bill of approximately $2,000 to $2,300 per month. Those figures did not include the many veterinarian visits the defendants received while caring for the animals.
“I can just tell you that the animals are not being starved,”Norton said.
The operation is heavily in debt, she admitted, but local feed stores work with them in postponing payments until a horse is restored enough to be adopted for a small fee. They use those fees to try to catch up on bills, she said.
“You have to understand that these animals are in very poor shape when we get them,” Norton said. “Some never gain weight,despite diet supplements.”
Greenwood said some horses cannot be saved and must be euthanized.
Others can make a good companion horse, but can never be ridden.Some recover completely.
“I can’t make them all cosmetically to be what people want to see,” she said. “Some things can’t be cured and some never recover.”
After the ruling, Greenwood said she did not fault the judge in her ruling, but did not agree that the animals were neglected or abused.
“I don’t think we’ve ever denied we are financially in need, but I think the main fact is that the animals are being fed properly,”she said. “I feel like she had the concern of the animals in mind.”
FOUR YEARS LATER
Jan. 30, 2010, 12:16 AM
CHOCTAW RIDGE FARMS, Ruth, MS
I am moving to the Carriere, MS; and I was looking for horses for adoption at Petfinder.com In googling "Choctaw Ridge Farms", I found this discussion and AnimalCollectors.net, and I am just sickened at what these people are doing. These people were tried and convicted of Animal Cruelty 2006 and jailed on contempt charges in May 2007.
It looks like the 2006 conviction stemmed from charges brought by the
Mississippi Animal Rescue League
http://www.msarl.org/contact.php
5221 Greenway Drive Ext.
Jackson, MS 39204
(601) 969-1631
and
Lincoln County Sheriff's Dept.
Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Steve Rushing
215 Justice Street
Brookhaven, MS 39601
601-833-5231
and the Judge was Judy Case Martin who seems to have been removed to to judicial misconduct unrelated to this matter. Her replacement is
Judge Ralph Boone
Post 1
P.O. Box 767
Brookhaven, MS 39602
601-835-3475 phone
601-835-3494 fax
I hope that everyone has e-mailed PetFinder and contacted any other organizations that are listing Choctaw Ridge Farms. In addition, I hope that everyone will contact MS Animal Rescue League, the Lincoln County Sheriff's office, and the Post 1 judge. Based on the newspaper article, the judge was delusional in her sentencing and completely unaware of the history on this woman.
(Daily Leader - May 18, 2006)
Earlier:
- Mississippi: DIY rescuers Jean Norton Beverly Greenwood deny animal cruelty charges
