Two people charged with cruelty after dead and dying donkeys

MISSISSIPPI -- Two people are facing charges after a group of dead and dying donkeys were found in Tallahatchie County.

The Sheriff's Department on March 5 contacted In Defense of Animals, which operates the Hope Animal Sanctuary in Grenada, after the animals were found on Powell Creek Road in Cascilla.

Rescuers found skeletal remains, three carcasses and two donkeys near death, IDA said. The bodies were scattered around the property and one was lying in the middle of the driveway, authorities said.

The surviving male and female donkeys could no longer stand or reach the nearby pond for water, IDA said. They were found within yards of the residence on the property, authorities said. The donkeys were moved to the Hope Animal Sanctuary where they received care.

"Sadly, the jenny (female donkey) was too far gone to be saved and died two days later," said Doll Stanley, director of Hope Animal Sanctuary, in a statement.

Two people are charged with animal cruelty, which is a misdemeanor charge in Mississippi, IDA said.

(WAPT - Mar 15, 2014)