Horace Mearl White, 66, 5981 Lauderdale 81, Florence, pleaded guilty to three counts of cruelty to animals.
He was sentenced by Lauderdale Circuit Judge Mike Jones to 12 months on each charge with the sentences to run consecutively. But the judge suspended the sentences on the recommendation of the district attorney’s office.
White was placed in the Lauderdale County Community Corrections Program for 24 months.
Jones also ordered White to pay $12,000 in restitution to Singing River Equine Rescue, the agency that took care of the animals once they were removed from White’s property. Court officials said White has already paid $6,000.
In addition, Jones ordered White to be assigned a section of roadway to keep clean for a year.
“And you may not own any horse while you are under supervision,” Jones said. “If at any time you have any horses after the supervision is over, the Lauderdale County Animal Control Officer can, at any time, come onto the property and examine the animals.”
Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly said it was important the animal rescue group recovered some of the money it spent on caring for the horses.
White was indicted in August on two counts of felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals and 29 counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
Lauderdale County Chief Deputy Richard Richey said the animals were seized July 25. Warrants were issued for White’s arrest on July 28.
He said 14 horses, mules and donkeys were seized by Lauderdale County Animal Control because of their condition.
Authorities said two of the animals were in such bad condition they could not be saved. Investigators found skulls of 16 more animals that had been left to die in the pasture.
“It looked like the animals had died, and they just dragged them back to the back of the pasture,” Animal Control Officer Dewayne Oliver said.
He said the seized animals were in poor condition, and the only water source was covered in algae. He said there was very little grass in the pasture.
Oliver said some of the horses were so malnourished their ribs were visible.
“It was obvious, they had not been cared for,” he said.
(Times Daily - April 23, 2015)
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