The Portage Animal Protective League's humane officer, Jeff Hartung, and a sheriff's deputy went to the farm Sept. 5 after a woman reported finding a horse loose in the street.
Investigators found underweight horses and one that had long, deformed hooves. They also found the skeletons of about 30 cows scattered outside the barn.
"The owner claimed that his herd of cows got pneumonia and died about three years ago," said Annette Fisher, director of Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary in Ravenna.
Fisher's volunteers will care for the horses while the case moves through Portage County Municipal Court.
"The condition of the one horse's hooves was catastrophic, and it was evident that the horse did not have its hooves trimmed for at least a year and a half, and it had extreme difficulty walking," Fisher said. "None of the animals had water."
The name of the farmer will be released once charges are filed.
(Plain Dealer - November 18, 2010)
Nov 19, 2010 Update: Deerfield Township resident Brad Montgomery, 50, was charged Tuesday with three counts of cruelty to animals.
Three horses suffering from malnutrition and overgrown hooves were confiscated from his property on Ohio 14 and are recovering at Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary in Ravenna.
The Portage County Animal Protective League's humane officer, Jeff Hartung, and a sheriff's deputy went to the farm Sept. 5 after a woman reported finding a horse loose in the street. They found the horses living among the skeletons of about 30 cows.
"The owner claimed that his cows got pneumonia and died about three years ago," Happy Trails founder Annette Fisher said. "The condition of the one horse's hooves was catastrophic, making it extremely difficult to walk. None of the animals had water." The case will move through Portage County Municipal Court.