A violation of T.C.A. 39-14-202, the offense is a type A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail or a fine not to exceed $2,500 for each offense.
The arrest came after DPD Officer Pamela Eskew observed two horses at the Haynes residence on Tuesday, Nov. 6 that were malnourished. Eskew returned to the residence at approximately 6:40 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 to observe the horses and found three horses at the residence.
According to Eskew's report, the first horse, an American Paint Horse, was observed to be at a good weight, although tied to a long lead in a pen. It is unknown how long this horse had been in Haynes' possession. However, Eskew observed two other horses that were severely emaciated roaming the property.
Eskew contacted Timothy Campbell, the county agricultural extension agent, who informed Eskew that he was familiar with Haynes' horses having warned him in the past that his horses were underfed. Eskew began pursuing animal cruelty charges against Haynes, but the challenge was finding the resources to care for the horses once removed from Haynes' care.
"We don't deal with livestock much in the city," said Capt. Steve Isbell, patrol commander for the Dyersburg Police Department. "One of the biggest obstacles we faced in this case was the lack of resources about who would care for the horses and the person who takes care of them to be able to recover their costs."
Eskew, who was praised by Isbell for pursuing what he described as a difficult and unpleasant case, contacted Drew Smith, who has the facilities to take care of the horses and provide them with the necessary care until the case goes to court. It was necessary for Eskew to work with Smith, as the Dyersburg/Dyer County Humane Society does not deal with livestock.
"We don't handle livestock anymore because the Tennessee wildlife folks are the point of contact for those calls," said Dr. Carol Feather, president for the humane society. "We will sometimes go out with them if they ask us to, but we primarily only deal with pets."
Eskew did make contact with Animal Control Officer Page Turnage to evaluate four dogs at the Haynes residence. Derrick Avery, humane society supervisor, reported to the State Gazette on Tuesday, Nov. 20 that the dogs were determined to be underfed but were able to stay at the residence provided that the humane society monitor their progress. Avery says that a volunteer has been going out to the residence daily to feed and care for the dogs.
Haynes was taken into custody without incident after Eskew obtained three warrants for his arrest. Once the horses were removed from the Haynes property they were evaluated by Dr. Jimmy Crisp.
The first horse was a female bay horse that had an abscess, which exited the bottom of her jaw. This abscess was interfering with some of the nerves that control the horse's bottom lip and was making it difficult for her to eat.
Smith was treating the wound by flushing it out with an iodine-and-water mixture that was exposing part of the jawbone, but the treatments were working with the horse regaining some use of her lower lip after just two days of treatments. In addition to the infection in her mouth, the horse was found to be blind in one eye and was suffering from an infection under her nose.
The second horse evaluated by Crisp was a female roan whose teeth were in bad condition due to the prolonged period of time without proper food. The horse was also severely emaciated with the rib cage and backbones all protruding through her skin.
Haynes was released on his own recognizance on Thursday, Nov. 8 and is awaiting a court hearing set for Monday, Dec. 10.
(State Gazette - November 23, 2012)
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