KENTUCKY -- A member of the Logan County Humane Society board of directors resigned after being cited Monday on five misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
Heather Dawson of Olmstead, who was elected to the board Feb. 11, was unavailable for comment.
"She did resign from the board on Tuesday," said Jo Orange, a Logan County magistrate and humane society board member. "We have her letter of resignation. We did not have a meeting."
Dawson did not explain why she was resigning, Orange said.
"She simply resigned from the board," she said.
Logan County sheriff's deputies received a complaint that Dawson, 39, had five horses that were neglected. The citation said the horses were staying in "extremely dirty stalls" and hadn't had their teeth checked or hooves trimmed.
Dawson took full responsibility, telling deputies she had been working and didn't have much time to take care of the horses, the citation said. She will appear in Logan District Court on March 16.
Orange was shocked.
"Based on everything I know about Heather, it's a horrible surprise to me. I never dreamed anything would happen, especially not to Heather," she said. "She loves animals and takes care of them. It came as a horrible surprise to a lot of people."
Logan County Judge-Executive Logan Chick said he learned of Dawson's situation Monday evening.
"I was in Frankfort all day Monday," he said. "The only thing I found out was that it could be a problem with her and her animals."
Chick said he "didn't know what to think."
"I wasn't able to reach the sheriff's department," he said.
Dawson's troubles won't affect the shelter, Chick said.
"I think her resigning from the humane society will take care of that and they will look for other members," he said.
Since former humane society director Tracy Moser was voted out of that position last week, remaining employees have operated the shelter and a board member is there every day, Orange said.
"I went out there Saturday, and things are going well out there as far as I can tell," Orange said.
All state and local agencies were contacted regarding the housing of the horses. None of the agencies was able to care for the animals. The horses are being housed at the property, but are under the care of a veterinarian and farrier until other arrangements can be made if necessary.
The horses' conditions are improving. Veterinarian and farrier services will continue for an undetermined amount of time. The case remains open.
Dawson was also taking care of three deer, two opossums, a raccoon and a squirrel. Broadbent Wildlife Sanctuary in Guston came to pick them up Wednesday at the request of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Broadbent employees travel the state gathering injured and orphaned wildlife.
"They were all in healthy condition. There were no signs of neglect," sanctuary supervisor Chris Fears said. "She was just housing them from the winter through the spring to get them released."
If what Dawson said is true, that she was working and just didn't have time to care for her horses properly, then why were these animals in "healthy" condition? She CHOSE to neglect the horses.
Dawson has had a wildlife rehabilitation license in the past. She wasn't supposed to do it without a license.
"She didn't (have a license) at the point and time Fish and Wildlife called us," Fears said. "According to Fish and Wildlife, that's why we had to pick them up."
For now, Broadbent will keep them until employees can determine whether they can make it in the wild on their own, Fears said.
"We want to monitor their eating and drinking habits and make sure everything is good before we release them into the wild," he said. "We have 4,000 acres with no hunting and no fishing so they have a lot of room to roam on."
(BG Daily News - Feb 27, 2016)
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