Shannon Trowbridge, 31, received a one-year suspended prison sentence Thursday at Superior Court in New Haven. As part of her plea deal she can never own a horse in the state.
Trowbridge ran afoul of the law after Cheyenne, a Paint horse, was taken from Trowbridge’s Cheshire Road house July 26. Bethany Resident State Trooper David Merriam has said the horse was kept in deplorable conditions, including two feet of manure and urine.
Reportedly, the horse’s hooves were curled and Cheyenne was kept boarded up for more than a year. Animal control officials had to dismantle the stall and dig her out to free the horse.
Cheyenne has been recuperating at a horse rescue farm in Bethany.
Earlier on Thursday Trowbridge attempted unsuccessfully to receive a
ccelerated rehabilitation, which is a special form of probation offered to first-time offenders accused of a non-serious crime.
Trowbridge’s attorney, R. J. Weber III argued for AR.
“I believe my client qualifies for this program. This is exactly the type of incident it is for. She deserves a second chance. I believe it should be granted,” he said.
Weber also submitted several letters in support of Trowbridge.
Assistant State’s Attorney Joe LaMotta argued against AR.
“A picture is worth a thousand words. You saw the photos of how badly she looked,” LaMotta said to Judge William Holden.
The pictures showed Cheyenne with badly injured feet, and how one side of her stall was half eaten by the horse indicating boredom and stress.
Holden told Trowbridge the charges against her were compelling.
“This is a serious matter. The maximum penalty is one year in jail,” he said.
The horse has been under the care of a veterinarian and farrier, who has been slowly working to restructure her hooves. Several thousands of dollars have been donated to pay the horse’s medical bills.
(New Haven Register - Nov 8, 2012)
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