The waste had been battered down to manure standing a few feet high. The pony had difficulty moving around. Its hooves hadn't been cut for years, causing the overgrowth to curl up and over.
His muscles were underused, his thick fur keeping his ribs from poking out.
On this Friday afternoon, Lt. Elaine Smith and her crew from Cumberland County Animal Control were on the dirt road, maneuvering though years of trash, fallen trees and leaves to save the pony, a pit bull and a chicken.
It's one of many animal abuse cases Smith has investigated this year. Six of them dealt with dogs, most dead, and ended in felony animal cruelty charges against their owners.
Dr. John Lauby doesn't know why people are killing their dogs or neglecting their animals. But the director of Animal Control does know why seven people this year have been charged with felony animal abuse compared with none in 2014.
And he knows why there will be more.
"Investigators are better equipped and better trained to make decisions about animal cruelty cases," Lauby said. "It's leading to more arrests."
The number of arrests is causing more publicity and making it appear more people are abusing their animals, Lauby said.
But he said the abuse has always happened.
"I think this kind of stuff has been going on for some time, but citizens are starting to realize we're investigating that kind of stuff and we're charging people," he said.
More cases pending
Investigators are working on about four or five more felony animal cruelty cases, Lauby said.
"There's going to be more coming out," he said. "I don't know what's going on that is making people just abandon their pets knowing they're going to die. I don't know what possesses an individual to do that rather than calling Animal Control or a rescue group to pick up the animal and find someone who can care for it."
Smith is one of those "better trained and better qualified" investigators Lauby mentions.
She joined the department as an officer almost three years ago and has a background in animal care as a veterinary assistant.
"I've always worked with animals and have always had strong convictions about how animals should be treated," she said. "...I believe in the value of animals and the value that pets have in our lives. I'm very aggressive when I know somebody has committed a crime that involves an animal."
She was promoted to lieutenant in December and works with the Sheriff's Office, which then makes animal abuse-related arrests.
Sheriff's Office Maj. Lynette Hodges said Animal Control has made great strides to better investigate these crimes.
"People in Cumberland County aren't going crazy," she said. "This is not something new. It's just that we now have someone who's very devoted and dedicated to seeing it through."
When an investigation is finished at Animal Control, the paperwork is given to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies make sure charges can be filed and if so, they draw up the warrants and put the felony file together for the district attorney.
Cassy Peterson, director of the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society, said the group is thankful for Animal Control stepping up.
"Animal cruelty and animal neglect is nothing new," she said.
"I think we're seeing a lot of activity now because Animal Control officers have additional training and are now more confident about charging these people," Peterson said. "We have a lot of laws on the books that protect animals, but if Animal Control doesn't enforce them, they don't do us any good. We're very happy to see that Animal Control has made efforts to hold people accountable."
Tips are helping
Tips about possible animal abuse are driving investigators to look into more cases.
Animal Control officers found the neglected pony, dog and chicken after an anonymous tip led them to the street.
A day earlier, investigators went to the stable, fed the animals and left a notice for the owner saying he had 24 hours to clean up, or the animals would be seized. The notice is required by law.
There's one house on the road, and the occupant doesn't own the animals, Smith said. It's easy to see another house was once there but has been torn down, leaving behind piles of wood and items such as clothes, toilets and bathtubs.
Smith believes someone has been feeding the animals, but they all showed signs of neglect, she said.
With the owner missing and 24 hours having passed, Smith and other investigators, including those with the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, seized the animals.
While taking pictures, they found animal bones in black plastic bags buried in a shallow grave. The cause of death for the animal, which appeared to be a pony or horse, was not immediately known.
The surviving pony was led to a trailer and quickly jumped inside. Days later, he was adopted by a woman well-known to Animal Control. His hooves will be tended.
"I've never seen (hooves) that bad," Smith said, shaking her head. "He's a sweet boy and he's hungry."
The dog, now named Hersey, is up for adoption at Animal Control.
"She became a sweetheart," Smith said.
Smith's first duty is to find the previous owner, complete her case and see what charges can be filed.
Growing bad list
Not only were there no felony animal cruelty arrests last year, only one investigation even made it to the Sheriff's Office. But no suspects were found and the case was closed.
Of this year's arrests, the first was Spc. John Garrett Burrow, a Fort Bragg soldier, who admitted to tying his 8-month-old dog's feet to its snout and drowning it in a Fayetteville pond. Police said Burrow became a suspect after they received an anonymous Crimestoppers tip.
James Strickland, 34, is accused of beating his 10-week-old pit bull to death in May. When Animal Control became aware of the case, Smith said the initial investigator didn't pursue it. The case was reopened this year, and Strickland was arrested in March.
Carlaes Gardner, 59, of Hope Mills, was charged last month with the 2013 starvation of a pony.
d Walter, 51, who was last seen in December when he went to visit his partner in a Durham hospital, left eight dogs to starve. Six died. The survivors ate from the others' carcasses. Cumberland County deputies are still looking for him.
James Marvin Wing, 30, is accused of leaving his two dogs locked in wire cages without food or water for an undetermined number of weeks. They were found dead in February.
Stephanie Bates, 49, is charged with starving her 3-year-old boxer after he was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.
Quorcika Shacosiha Thomas, of the 300 block of Nugget Court, is accused of starving a pit bull to death. Deputies are searching for her.
In all, 12 dogs have died this year at the hands of people who were supposed to care for them. Wing and Walter face multiple charges.
Lauby said Animal Control will continue being a voice for animals.
"If we find out bad things are happening to an animal, we will find them," he said. "We're out there to protect citizens and animals."
Smith wants animal owners to remember one thing: "People can always surrender your animals."
"We have officers on-call 24/7 all year," Smith said. "We don't ask questions; we don't pass judgement. If you can't take care of your animal, call us. Otherwise, we'll file charges and we will prosecute you."
(Fay Observer - April 2, 2015)
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