Louisiana horse left tied in yard with rotting leg

LOUISIANA -- A Jeanerette man was booked Thursday after his horse had be euthanized because of neglect.

A neighbor saw the horse had been tied up and left for several days near Pecan Lane. He called the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office when he saw the horse’s leg had become damaged severely.

The Sheriff’s Office referred the matter to the Jeanerette City Marshal. Marshal Fernest Martin said once deputies got to the animal, it had lost a hoof already.

Chief deputy Jeff Matthews said the horse had a rope tangled around its leg and as the horse tugged, the rope likely sawed through the leg. The horse also had patches similar to bed sores from lying down. He said the horse was somewhat malnourished but still had a good weight.

The office had to call a veterinarian. Matthews said because of the leg, the vet had to put down the horse and remove it.

Quincy Jones, 31, was booked on simple cruelty to animals.

According to Louisiana statute, “whoever commits the crime of simple cruelty to animals shall be fined not more than $1,000, or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.”

Martin said he expects the owner will have to pay some sort of restitution. The cost of euthanizing and removing the animal was about $1,200. He said his office gets calls about horses regularly, either about people not caring for horses or improperly securing them.

“We have so many animals out there not meeting city ordinance,” Martin said. “We want to make sure the ordinance is being fulfilled.”

In neighboring St. Marin Parish, four horses were abandoned last year. At least two of them were euthanized after suffering severe neglect and malnutrition.

Jeanerette City Judge Cameron Simmons said he’s had few animal neglect or cruelty cases. He said most often, a horse will escape and be found near a road or in someone else’s field. Simmons said if it’s a first offense and the owner has made necessary repairs so that the horse cannot escape again, charges will usually be dismissed or the owner will have to do some community service.

Simmons said the last cruelty case he saw involving a horse was about 15 years ago.

He said each case has its own set of facts that could determine an outcome and sentence. Simmons said with large animals, there’s usually a lot of evidence, including testimony from neighbors.

“At the end of the day, you get a good picture of what’s going on with the animal,” he said.

(The Daily Iberian - Oct 4, 2013)