TENNESSEE -- A northeast Henry County neighborhood is up in arms about what they say was the starvation death of a horse, the subsequent disposal of the animal’s carcass and the indifference of the Henry County Sheriff’s Department to the issue, despite multiple calls.
In fact, Sheriff Monte Belew said his department made four visits to the home, including one with a University of Tennessee Extension agent who found the animal died from colic, not starvation.
In addition, the way the carcass was disposed of was not only legal, but one of the ways recommended by state agriculture officials.
In a recent letter to The Post-Intelligencer, Red Top Hill Road resident Jim Coley said the dead horse was one of three kept at the home.
“Recently in our area horses were starving to death from neglect and one did die despite calls to Henry County Sheriff by several people,” Coley wrote. “The complaint was not checked till the dispatcher told one of the callers they had to have two or more calls on animal abuse before they would send anyone out.
“In just a few minutes they had their calls and they did send a lady out to check. All of this in several days time frame. When she did go out, they had hay on the ground so they closed the case. One of the horses was too weak to make it and died.”
That’s not the way it happened, Belew said Tuesday, and that’s not how the department responds to animal cruelty calls.
Belew said the department recently completed training in equestrian animal abuse, and routinely deals with animal cruelty cases ranging from dogs and cats to horses and chickens.
In each case, officers respond immediately, although Belew said he wishes a county animal control officer was available to specialize in calls like this.
“I don’t know any dispatcher who would have said that,” he said of the report that multiple calls were required.
In fact, the department made five visits to the home of Billy Spears on Freeland Road between Jan. 18 and Tuesday.
The first by Deputy James Higgins found three horses with adequate water and shelter, but no food.
“The horses were thin, but not emaciated,” Belew said.
While the department can make its own call on animal cruelty charges involving dogs and cats, state law requires an expert to judge the condition of large animals like horses.
The department contacted the UT Extension Service, and Higgins made a second visit on Jan. 24 — this time finding the three horses with two rolls of hay and fresh water.
On Jan. 31, Higgins returned with Henry County Extension Agent Staci Foy. They spoke with Spears, and found one of the horses — a 14-year-old Appaloosa — had died, with the others in reasonably good health.
Foy said the Appaloosa, which Spears was keeping for his brother-in-law, had died from colic.
“It’s one of the more common causes of death in horses,” Foy said during a return visit Tuesday with Belew and Chief Deputy Randy Gean. “But the horse was not thin enough that it was a starvation case — that horse did not die of starvation.”
Neighbors again objected when Spears dragged the animal close to the road, piled hay and wood, and burned the carcass.
Spears said Tuesday he tried to get help burying the animal.
“After we found him, we went and asked neighbors and everything else.”
He finally had to burn the horses’ body — which, Belew said, is one of the three ways the state Department of Agriculture recommends to dispose of a large animal carcass.
Spears received a warning for burning the animal without a permit; and for allowing dogs to run at large. Apart from that, he’s done nothing illegal.
Spears has already cleaned the carcass up, Belew said.
In the meantime, Belew encourages Henry Countians to contact him on his cell phone at 336-4699 if they suspect animal abuse is taking place.
“We will investigate every animal abuse case as thoroughly as we can,” Belew said.
(Paris Post Intelligencer - Feb 20, 2013)
