April Keck is recommending that the prosecutor's office charge James Fitzsimons, the horses' owner, with animal cruelty. A dead horse and an emaciated horse were discovered in Fitzsimons' backyard April 7 following a citizen complaint.
The case rests with the office of Prosecutor Pat Harrington, which has up to two years from the date of the incident to file charges. The prosecutor's office is prohibited by law from discussing the status of specific cases.
Because the incident occurred prior to July 1 — the date Indiana's revised criminal code took effect — it would fall under the previous criminal code, which considers animal cruelty a Class A misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment of not more than one year and a fine of not more than $5,000.
"After reviewing the recovery process and medical records, that was my final recommendation," Keck said.
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| Little Bit when first rescued |
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| Little Bit has recovered |
The 6-year-old quarter horse was put up for adoption last month.
During Keck's investigation, she said, Fitzsimons indicated he could not afford to feed the horses. The horses had resorted to eating bark off nearby trees.
How to help
Contact Indiana Horse Rescue at www.ihrcentral.com or 765-601-4104
(JCOnline - Aug 1, 2014)
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