Oklahoma: Tonia Evans, 48, given 5 years probation for starving her horse to death

OKLAHOMA -- Back in February 2016, Tonia Evans, 48, was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty.

According to police reports, on Dec. 21, deputies with the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office received information about a horse in poor health, neglected, down and dying on the 5900 block of South 13th Street.

The report stated deputies saw the horse lying on the ground in its own vomit and unable to stand. Deputies called a vet to care for the horse, but the horse perished before help arrived.

Apparently, someone had contacted the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office months earlier, in August 2015, concerned that Evans was starving the horse.

Deputies responded, saw the horse and told Evans to seek vet care for the horse.

Then they left.

And never bothered to follow-up to make sure she did it.

September comes and goes. October comes and goes. November comes and goes. December comes and nearly goes and the horse cannot survive any longer. The freezing winter temperatures probably helped its decline happen even faster. Its legs finally gave out on it and it laid there suffering. Deputies arrived and watched it finally die.

Who's fault is this? Of course, it's Tonia Evans' fault for starving her horse. But the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office is also partially responsible.

Tonia Evans needs to be locked in a cage and left to suffer month after month after month with nothing to eat. Or, yank all her teeth out and then hand her a steak to eat and see how well she does with it. By the looks of her, Tonia Evans never missed a meal. I picture her inside her nice, warm house shoveling pizza in her face while her poor horse was out in the cold, eating rocks because it was so hungry.

Unfortunately, I don't mete out the punishments to animal abusers. The state of Oklahoma gave Tonia Evans 5 years of probation, which is more than most people get. Unfortunately, they also gave her a Deferred sentence, which means at the end of those 5 years, this case will be listed as Dismissed on her criminal record.

Dismissed as though she had never starved this animal for months. Dismissed as if this horse hadn't suffered for months, slowly starving, until it collapsed and continued to suffer until finally dying.

The law may say, after 5-year probation, that her case was dismissed, but we all know she's guilty and is an animal abuser and killer.

Offender: Tonia Lucille Evans
Gender: Female
Race: White
Height: 5 ft 0 in
Weight: 315 lbs
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Green
Birth Date: 11/22/1967
OK DOC#: 741141

Court: STEPHENS COUNTY COURT

Offense: CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
Conviction date:
Term: 5 Y 1 D
Term code: P&PDEF
Sentence begins: 05/24/2016
Status: Active
Estimated end: 05/25/2021