Animal control officers with the Parker County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 4800 block of Marlboro Country Road Monday when a caller reported an approximately 7-year-old Shetland pony, tangled in a 20-foot rope tied to a tree, was lying on its back with its feet in the air.
The caller obtained help from a nearby resident and the witnesses were able to untangle the pony.
However, the animal, which reportedly had a hind leg injury, a matted coat covered in dirt and sweat and was breathing heavily, was unable to stand or walk when it was set free, according to the sheriff’s office, which said the neighbors gave the animal water and it drank a large amount within minutes.
“The horse dug a three-foot-wide hole in the ground by struggling in attempts to free himself,” Animal Control Supervisor Karen Kessler said. “He was overheated and his condition was extremely poor.”
A veterinarian who was called to examine the pony advised that the animal needed to be euthanized due to its severe health issues - including a dislocated left hip, suspected internal injuries, head lacerations, dehydration, trauma and rope burns.
There was no food or water nearby and no grass for grazing, according to Kessler, who reported that a bucket, located about 30 feet away from the animal, was empty.
Kessler said the animal’s face had been pinned between his front legs for a long period of time and the pony suffered rope burns across its body.
Witnesses reported the pony had been tied to the tree since at least Saturday.
“This horse suffered needlessly at the hands of a suspect who had a blatant lack of respect for a living creature,” Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said. “The suspect did not provide even the basic needs of an adequate pen, water and food. This horse was deliberately placed in a dangerous position and it cost him his life.”
The equine’s owner, Ivan Garcia, 34, reported the animal stolen later that day. However, he initially denied living in the home where the pony was found, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, which reported that Garcia later told deputies that he lied about the pony being stolen because he was scared.
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| Ivan Garcia |
Garcia, who also had misdemeanor traffic-related warrants, was arrested Wednesday on a felony warrant for cruelty to livestock.
He was being held in the Parker County Jail Wednesday night without bond on an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainer, as well.
Other incidents
Parker County deputies also arrested a man last week after he reportedly beat a cat on the head, killing it.
Franky Lynn Hatcher, 43, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to non-livestock animals.
A family member reportedly called deputies after seeing Hatcher dispose of a bloody black cat March 17 and told the responding deputy that Hatcher believed cats are evil.
Hatcher reportedly told a responding deputy who asked why he killed the cat that, “The cat had a convict in his brain and was under the influence of the undertow.”
Hatcher provided the deputy with a written statement that he struck the cat on the head with a piece of wood and killed the animal so it wouldn’t get other cats at his family member’s house sick.
After being arrested on a warrant Friday, Hatcher remained in the Parker County Jail Wednesday evening with bond set at $2,000.
Hatcher was also arrested on a charge of cruelty to livestock animals in June. However, the charge was dismissed in November.
Parker County sheriff’s investigators are also seeking information regarding the owners of two dogs rescued by animal control officers Wednesday.
Animal control responded to a call from a passerby who spotted two large black male dogs chained together and running down the center of State Highway 199 in Springtown.
The animals’ collars were connected by a short piece of heavy-duty link chain, according to the sheriff’s office, which said the dogs appeared to be Newfoundland/Labrador mix breeds.
“The older dog is estimated to be about 2-to-3 years of age, which was chained to a younger dog about 1-year-old,” Kessler said. “They were intentionally bound together in a cruel fashion and allowed to run free in a high-traffic area.”
Anyone with information regarding the owners of the dogs is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (817) 594-8845.
(The Weatherford Democrat - Mar 27, 2014)
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