Horse abuse in Sabine prompts court-ordered restitution

LOUISIANA -- The Sabine man who admitted to animal cruelty charges after dozens of malnourished horses died at his farm has been ordered to pay $162,741 in restitution.

District Judge Stephen Beasley held Charles Ray Ford, 65, responsible for the care and veterinary treatment expenses incurred by those who rescued the surviving thoroughbred horses seized in January 2012 from his Hillcrest Farms near Many. Beasley broke down the payments as follows:

$12,902, Stacey Tournillon Walker; $47,855, Sabine Humane Society; $101,983, Louisiana Horse Rescue.

Ford pleaded guilty in July 2013 to 10 counts of felony animal cruelty. He was sentenced in November to five years in prison with all but a year suspended. He also was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

Ford was arrested shortly after an investigation by the Sabine Humane Society revealed deteriorating conditions of the horses, most of which were on loan to Ford by their owners for breeding and training. The society secured a court order to take about 60 horses from the property. The remains of at least 25 were discovered.

 

Louisiana Horse Rescue Association took 45 of the seized horses; the others went to a Sabine farm and other rescue groups. Several were in such poor health that they later died.

 

In his six-page restitution order, Beasley cites a Louisiana law that allows for “reasonable” restitution when tied to a specific and quantifiable loss. He notes Ford’s disagreement with the restitution amount for Louisiana Horse Rescue, which he argued should be limited to expenses incurred from the date of the horses’ seizure through the date they were transferred from the Sabine Humane Society. Ford maintained that Louisiana Horse Rescue was not entitled to restitution.

Beasley rejected that argument and pointed to a Louisiana Supreme Court case in 2010 related to a similar issue.

It must be remembered, Beasley wrote, that the “breadth and scale of Mr. Ford’s crime dictated the immediate humanitarian assistance by Louisiana Horse Rescue. Emergency care and shelter for over 40 horses, without question, overwhelmed the limited facilities and resources” of Sabine’s rural animal shelter.

Although not part of the restitution consideration, there were more than 20 other animals, including dogs, hogs and goats, that were seized from Ford. That caused the Sabine Humane Society’s facility to be “summarily besieged with the overwhelming task of sheltering, feeding and providing emergency medical care for these horses that a call to arms for assistance was necessary,” the ruling states.

 

So it was not unreasonable to conclude that under the circumstances there was a need to outsource custodial services, with Louisiana Horse Rescue acting in tandem with the Sabine Humane Society to handle the sick and dying horses, Beasley said.

“Had fact and law supported a finding that Louisiana Horse Rescue had no standing to seek restitution, Mr. Ford would financially benefit from the advantage the substantial impact his crime had on this small rural humane society.”

(Shreveport Times - Aug. 2, 2014)