Nine deputies spent four hours rounding up the creatures, ranging from peacocks to miniature horses to llamas, at 1500 Pueblo Trail, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Danny Alexander said.
Charged with seven counts of animal cruelty, Arturo Morales, 55, was released Friday from the Randall County jail on $1,500 bond, authorities said.
The seizure culminated a 1½-year investigation, Alexander said.
A couple of animals, including a horse, were euthanized, Alexander said. Authorities also found dead animals left in pens with live animals for long periods of time, he said.
Authorities moved the birds to the city’s animal control center and took the rest of the animals to pens at the sheriff’s office, Alexander said.
Some animals lacked water and veterinary care, he said.
“The water that was in those things, we took samples … you can’t even see through (the samples) they’re so grimy and green,” Alexander said.
Animals repeatedly escaped their pens, apparently searching for food and water, Deputy Chase Ralston said.
Ralston and his fellow animal control deputies repeatedly issued warnings to Morales before obtaining an arrest warrant last week, Ralston said.
“While doing that, we’ve also kept records of violations,” Ralston said. “When it gets to the point where you have live animals eating dead animals … then we’re going to charge him for the current and past problems that the statute allows us to.”
Each charge Morales faces is a class A misdemeanor, Alexander said, punishable by up to one year in prison and up to a $4,000 fine.
Ralston said authorities will take care of the animals until Morales’ court hearing during which a judge may return the animals to Morales or place them under county ownership.
If the county is awarded the animals, Ralston said, authorities will seek out nonprofit organizations to take them.
A list of the animals seized from 1500 Pueblo Trail: 3 peacocks, 3 geese, 18 chickens, 2 horses, 5 miniature horses, 2 llamas, 10 cows, 2 calves, 6 goats and 1 bull.
(Amarillo.com - Aug 20, 2012)
