Idaho: Horse trainers Kristopher Fagan and Samantha Arave headed to trial on animal cruelty charges

IDAHO -- Two people charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty are headed to trial following a pre-trial conference Thursday.

Horse trainers Kristopher Fagan (Kris Fagan), 22, and Samantha Arave, 20, were charged with four misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals after 15 horses and a mule were found in poor condition while in their care and while being boarded at the county fairgrounds in Pocatello last month.

Fagan is also charged with theft of services by deception, also a misdemeanor.

Arave and Fagan pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

A pre-trial conference was held Thursday, but no deal was struck in the case. Fagan and Arave are due back in court July 14.

Fagan and Arave were charged after the animals were found in poor condition at the fairgrounds.

One of the horse’s owners was alerted to conditions at the stables by a craigslist.com post with photos showing the poor conditions of the animals, and she notified the sheriff’s office.

Deputy Prosecutor Ashley Graham said last month that if convicted, the trainers could be sentenced to up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count.

(East Idaho News - June 24, 2016)

Earlier:

• Idaho: Horses in poor condition removed from Bannock County fairgrounds
• Idaho: Kristopher Fagan and Samantha Arave charged with animal cruelty in Bannock County fairgrounds horse incident

Idaho: Kristopher Fagan and Samantha Arave charged with animal cruelty in Bannock County fairgrounds horse incident

IDAHO -- Two people are facing cruelty to animals charges in connection to an incident at the Bannock County Fairgrounds.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office said 15 horses and a mule were found in poor conditions earlier this month.

The sheriff’s office investigated the incident and referred the case to the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Ashley Graham confirmed that Samantha Araze and Kristopher Sagan, the animals’ trainers, were both charged Tuesday, May 24, with misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

(East Idaho News - May 24, 2016)

Earlier:

• Idaho: Horses in poor condition removed from Bannock County fairgrounds

Idaho: Horses in poor condition removed from Bannock County fairgrounds

Update: Kristopher Fagan and Samantha Arave charged with animal cruelty in Bannock County fairgrounds horse incident


IDAHO -- After 15 horses and a mule were found in poor condition at the Bannock County Fairgrounds last week, county officials are reviewing policies and procedures for the facility to ensure that a similar incident doesn’t happen in the future.

The horses were being boarded at the end of shed row by two independent trainers. The sheriff’s office is investigating the incident, but charges have not yet been filed against the trainers and their names have not been released.

By Friday afternoon, all the animals had been removed from the fairgrounds.

The last two remaining horses belonged to the trainers and officials were able to contact the owner of the mule, who picked up the animal.

Bannock County Public Works Director Dan Copeland said once the investigation is complete, the county will decide if changes are called for at the fairgrounds.

“We want to have all the facts in the case in order to make an informed decision,” Copeland said. “I think we need to see where the investigation takes us.”

Copeland said some of the solutions being discussed include adding a full-time worker to monitor shed row. But he said that adding an employee will raise costs at the venue.

Currently, horse owners and trainers pay $40 a month for a one-horse stall.

One of the horse’s owners was alerted to conditions at the stables by a craigslist.com post, with photos depicting the dire conditions of the animals, and she notified the sheriff’s office.

Facility Manager Aaron Greenwell said county workers drive through shed row daily.

The row of stalls where the animals were being held is at the east end of shed row facing the race track.

Trailers full of hay and piles of bedding can be seen in all the other rows of stalls, but at row of stables where the animals were located, only an old ambulance is on site.

About 20 bales of moldy hay were being kept inside a stall.

The Journal talked to a number of trainers at shed row Saturday. While no one was willing to go on record, most said they were unaware of the horses or their condition, and said they rarely saw the two trainers.

The craigslist.com posts said the top gates of the stalls were sometimes not opened for days, and it’s possible that county workers didn’t know they were occupied.

Greenwell walked the mule out of its stall Friday. He brushed him and fed him good hay from his own supply, while attempts were made to contact its owner.

“We found out that the mule had only been there for four days,” Greenwell said.

Bannock County Commissioner Steve Hadley said the individuals that rented the stalls are responsible for the care of the animals, not the county.

“When you rent a house, you don’t go back and check on it every day,” Hadley said. “It’s up to the renters.”

Dave Packer and Evan Frasure, two Republicans challenging Hadley for his seat in District 1, also weighed in on the case Saturday.

Packer agreed that the owners subcontracted with the trainers to care for their animals. So ultimately the trainers are responsible for the animals. But Packer believes the facility needs to be more closely monitored by the county.

He suggested partnering with the Portneuf Animal Welfare Society or the local Humane Society to help patrol shed row.

Packer also said trainers doing business at the county facility need to be scrutinized more closely.

Frasure said he believes that the trainers should be held accountable, but he said the incident should not have happened at the county-operated facility.

“We need to be more aware of what’s going on at the fairgrounds,” Frasure said.

Along with Frasure and Packer, Hadley will face Republican challenger Dennis Spencer in the May 17 primary. The winner of that race will contend for the commission seat with Democrat Roger Hernandez in the general election during November.

Bannock County Prosecutor Steve Herzog said he’ll review the results of the ongoing investigation when it’s complete, along with reports from veterinarians, to determine if criminal charges are appropriate in the case.

(East Idaho News - May 9, 2016)

Rockford TN man responds to viral photos of horse

TENNESSEE -- A Rockford man says he's the one pictured in a series of photos circulating on Facebook, and that the pictures show him training a horse.

Local 8 News got in touch with Ben Yoder to ask him about the pictures that concerned viewers sent into our newsroom.

The Sevier County Sheriff's Office says it's working with the Ag Extension Agent to investigate whether a crime was committed.

 

 

Yoder tells Local 8 News he's been training horses for 30 years and models his process on the Professor Beery method. Beery was a horse clinician from the late 1800's who published a series on best practices for equine training.

Yoder says, "The horse trusts me completely afterwards and is totally connected with me. He's not scared, I don't do it to fear them, I do it to gain trust."

In one picture, the horse is laying on the ground with ropes nearby. Yoder says he ties one foot up to get the horse to lay down, and then drags a tarp around the horse and over the body to gain its trust.

 

To anyone who doubts his method he says, "They don't know my methods they don't know my goal they've never been around it. If they could come and experience it they'd see it's a good thing."

Brittany McCarter contacted Local 8 News and identified herself as the owner of the horse seen in the photos. She says her horse was never in danger or in harms way.

Yoder invited Local 8 News to his farm in Rockford farm. Anchor Amanda Hara will have the report.

(WVLT - Dec 10, 2015)

Earlier:

• Facebook pictures of Sevier Co. horse prompt investigation

Facebook pictures of Sevier Co. horse prompt investigation

TENNESSEE -- The Sevier County Sheriff's Office is investigating several pictures circulating on social media that show a man and a woman with a horse.

Animal Control Officer Phil King says the pictures were sent to his office on Tuesday and appear to show the man and woman trying to train the horse.

 

Officer King says he has been in touch with the Ag Extension Agent and is trying to learn more to determine whether a crime was committed.

 

Horse Haven of Tennessee founder Nina Margetson says, "If this is a "training" method then they are using fear to accomplish it. Not a good way to instill trust in a horse. Instilling fear in any animal is not correct handling and should never be a form of training or teaching."

 

 Many horse trainers use a widely accepted and commonly practiced method of desensitization to break horses of particular fears. It's not unusual to drag a tarp around a horse in order to help it become more comfortable with the loud sound or strange sight.

 

  

  

 

However, Local 8 News was unable to contact the people pictured in these photographs so it's unclear what their intentions were.

Our messages were not immediately returned but we will contact to try and make contact with them.

 

It's important to note that charges have not been filed in this case. Local 8 News is addressing countless messages sent to the newsroom from concerned viewers regarding the photos that are circulating on social media.

(WVLT - Dec 8, 2015)

Wisconsin: Michael Feist Sentenced to Jail for Animal Cruelty

WISCONSIN -- A Wisconsin ranch owner convicted of almost three dozen counts of animal cruelty is headed to jail. Michael Allen Feist is scheduled to begin his one-year jail sentence next month.

In March, a jury found Feist guilty of 34 counts that included the intentional mistreatment and failure to provide sustenance to animals. Four felony counts represented horses found dead on the ranch during the Polk County Sheriff Department's 2013 investigation.

Officials received a tip regarding starving horses on the property owned by Feist and his chiropractor wife, Dr. Brenda Weierke.

Feist maintained his herd of about 80 horses through the criminal proceedings, which angered some in the equine community. They rallied to have the horses seized from Otter Creek Ranch, although officials never removed the horses from the property.

The one-time Appaloosa breeder now advertises trail rides, horse training services, and horseback riding lessons to the public. Otter Creek Ranch also offers a petting zoo.

Prior to Feist's sentencing, his attorney's motion for a new trial was denied by the court.

Feist has until the end of the year to reduce his farm's population by 30 horses. On January 2, 2016, Feist must report to jail to begin serving his jail sentence. He may eligible for a work release program after six months. The farm's animals will be under veterinary supervision twice a month.

Feist must also serve probation and pay fines and costs totaling just over $3,000. As a felon, Feist cannot possess a firearm. If he violates any conditions of his sentence, he may be required to serve more than 11 years behind bars or reduce his herd of 50 horses further.

(RateMyHorsePro.com - December 2, 2015)

Earlier:

• Wis. man, Michael Allen Feist, convicted in animal cruelty case

Inverell trainers, Robert and Katherine Crowther, sentenced in horse abuse case

AUSTRALIA -- An Atholwood couple has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of animal cruelty in the case of 10 horses discovered on their property in 2014.

Robert and Katherine Crowther were sentenced in Inverell Local Court last week with $8800 in veterinary and boarding costs, prohibited from owning more than three horses combined for five years, and issued with a good behaviour bond under the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals Act.

Mr Crowther has been a race horse trainer in Inverell and the region for many years, most recently racing horses in 2013. NSW RSPCA inspector Alistair Hills attended the Crowthers’ property in 2014 after a public complaint.

The couple was not home at the initial visit, but were present the next day when Mr Hills, a second inspector and local veterinarians returned.

Mr Hills said the couple readily surrendered 13 of their 15 horses.

“They I think were fairly resigned to the fact that they knew the situation they were in, the horses were in, were not good,” he said.

The Crowthers were individually charged once with a failure to provide food and with four charges of failure to provide veterinary treatment. Food was present on the property, but discovered locked and inaccessible to the animals.

“It was caged away but it was accessible for the sheep, the hay was feeding the sheep, which they also have a large number of sheep out there,” Mr Hills said.

The 13 horses were removed over two days, and one was euthanized on the property.

A local veterinarian judged that the horses’ poor condition was due to lack of feed and a heavy parasite load.

The RSPCA stated all surrendered horses were re-homed interstate save one with an old leg injury.

Mr Hills said the remaining horses at the Crowther property have been monitored.

“The horses they have in care now are in very good condition, so they’ve demonstrated they can look after three horses; they can’t look after 15 horses,” he said.

“This particular situation, things had degenerated too far and they were financially not capable of fixing the problem themselves.”

(Inverell Times - Nov 27, 2015)

Lexington horse owner, Francis Lee McKinney, convicted of animal mistreatment

KENTUCKY -- Local horse owner and trainer, Francis Lee McKinney was prosecuted by the Fayette County Attorney’s Office, according to Lexington-Fayette Animal Care & Control.

The shelter says Mckinney was convicted Friday on four counts of miscare and mistreatment of animals.

A statement by Lexington Fayette Animal Care & Control says the charges were filed after four of Mckinney’s horses were found in poor condition in March.

Animal Control says three horses were found on March 11 and were underweight and in need of veterinary care. The fourth horse was found suffering and unable to stand on March 30th.


Photo: RateMyHorsePro.com

McKinney was convicted on all charges and taken into custody. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail and has to pay a fine of $2,000.

Animal Control officials say they have been investigating McKinney for more than a decade.

Officials say two of horses from Friday’s conviction were a part of a previous investigation.

In February 2011, three horses were taken away from her property for ‘lack of care.’ Animal Control held the horses for 11 months before the case was resolved and McKinney was allowed to regain custody.

(WTVQ - Nov 11, 2015)

Horse Trainer, Robert Dimitt, Arrested On Suspicion Of Animal Cruelty After Horses Found Dead

OKLAHOMA -- An Oklahoma racing Quarter Horse trainer is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after two horses allegedly died and another was injured while under his care.

Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, Sheriff Ron Lockhart said an agent for Edward Leslie, MD, a Kentucky-based racehorse owner, was instructed to pick up two of three horses in the care of trainer Robert Dimitt in July.

Upon contacting Dimitt, the agent was told that one of the horses had died; the second horse also allegedly died on Dimmit's Sallisaw property, Lockhart said.

Gold Digging Ashley, a third horse belonging to Leslie, was taken to a veterinary clinic where she remains under veterinary care, Lockhart said.

Leslie declined to comment on the animals' combined value except to say that they were all royally bred. The Oklahoma Horsemen's Association website indicates that Gold Digging Ashley won the association’s Mystery Futurity in 2014.

Leslie said he hired Dimitt after receiving a recommendation, but that his horses ended up “mutilated.”

On Aug. 3, Dimitt was arrested and charged with three counts of animal cruelty, “but we may find more (horse) remains and there may be more charges,” Lockhart said.

Dimitt was unavailable for comment.

Lockhart said the horses were injured after Dimitt removed the frog from the animals’ hooves.

“He said he did this to increase the blood flow (to the horses' feet) to make them run faster,” Lockhart said.

Veteran farrier Hesse Liephart, said the frog figures significantly in a horse's circulatory system because it helps pump blood up the horse's leg each time the structure contacts the ground. He said some racehorse trainers will apply tape the frogs in an attempt to improve blood flow.

“But if you take off the frog, it will stop blood flow,” he said. “Taping the frog is one thing, cutting it off is another.”

Liephart also noted that horses are vulnerable to serious infection whenever the frog is cut or removed.

As the investigation continues, Lockhart said other owners have been contacted to retrieve their horses from Dimitt's property. Meanwhile, anyone with any information concerning the case should call 918/404-4357 (HELP).

(TheHorse.com - Aug 5, 2015)

James Sharper faces animal cruelty charge after video of horse whipping

FLORIDA -- An Okeechobee man was arrested Friday and faces animal cruelty charges after a video surfaced of a horse whipping.

Authorities with the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office said they only found the video, because the suspect, James Sharper, told them about it.

 

Deputies said the video showed a man whipping a horse at Prairie Trail Riders. They said they've identified the man in the video as Sharpe, the owner of Prairie Trail Riders.

Deputies said Sharpe called them to tell them about the video, saying they shouldn't believe other people who claimed the man in the video was him.

 

  

  

 

  

 

Investigators said once they closely watched at the video, it was obvious Sharpe was the man who was seen whipping the horse.

Sharpe was arrested and charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty, eight of the charges are felonies.

 

Deputies said Sharpe had 11 horses at the farm, and all of them were malnourished.

Animal Care and Control took custody of the horses.

(WPBF - May 16, 2015)

California Horse Trainer Ordered to Stand Trial in Horses' Deaths

CALIFORNIA -- A California judge ordered hunter/jumper trainer Aron Jacques to stand trial for multiple counts of felony animal cruelty.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Chung found there was enough evidence for Jacques, of Santa Clarita, to stand trial. Witnesses for the prosecution included former boarders at Equine Avenue, Jacques's former business in Leona Valley, and Sgt. Rachel Montez-Kemp with animal control.

Jacques is charged with four felony counts of cruelty to an animal and five misdemeanor counts of failure to care for an animal. The felony counts represent two horses that died and two others that were euthanized, allegedly due to the defendant's negligent care.

Jacques is represented by alternate public defender Hung Phi Du. If she is found guilty on all counts, she faces a maximum sentence of up to seven and a half years in prison.

Jacques is scheduled to be back in court on January 28th. 

(RateMyHorsePro - Jan 20, 2015)

Earlier:

• Santa Clarita woman charged with abusing horses

I-Team Investigates Allegations Of Horse Abuse

PENNSYLVANIA -- Disturbing questions are being raised about what is happening inside a New Jersey barn.

This comes after concerned residents called Eyewitness News saying a woman is abusing her horses. They say despite recent deaths of several of them and an on-going investigation by humane officials, little has been done to save the others. Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter, Charlotte Huffman reports.

  

 

Monica Thors has been raising and training horses for harness racing for years. She produced a documentary on the sport and is also a horse photographer. Some may call Thors a horse expert.

Others call her a monster because of what happens inside a Swedesboro barn.

“There’s something seriously wrong here,” one woman told Eyewitness News.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, says she recently went to Thors’ barn to do business.
“It was just devastating … when you see it your heart breaks,” she said.

Kathy McGuire also visited Thors’ barn. McGuire is a certified animal cruelty investigator and owns NJ Aid For Animals, Inc., a non-profit striving to end the suffering of animals.

McGuire characterizes what she saw as “abuse.”

“The horses can’t lay down … can’t move and their feet are all bandaged up,” she said.

Following such allegations of abuse, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture investigated and sent inspectors to the barn in June of 2013. A department spokesperson says inspectors found the conditions inside the barn met the department’s definition of a “severe violation.”

Thors showed the Eyewitness News I-Team around her barn and the horses she claims are healthy.

She also showed the I-Team a horse with bandages around his hooves. The horse required the support of a sling to stand up for long and struggled to even walk.

 

“Why can’t the horse stand on his own?” Investigative Reporter, Charlotte Huffman asked Thors.
“He started to get foot infections from the glue and I should’ve known better,” Thors explained.

Thors says she was gluing on the horse’s shoes.

“The glue was seeping into the foot,” she said.

“When you’re gluing on shoes you don’t glue over the top of blood because you could cause an infection,” one of Thors’ former blacksmiths said.

The blacksmith, who asked to remain anonymous, told Eyewitness News he has seen Thors routinely overuse tools like a dremel on the horse’s hooves.

“She’s using it to cut away at the sole, filing the feet shorter and shorter …She would just keep trimming until blood started pouring out,” he said.

Thors responded to such allegations by saying she trims all of her horses’ hooves short because it puts less stress on their joints.

The Department of Agriculture says investigators handed their report over to NJSPCA (New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), which has the enforcement authority.

A NJSPCA spokesperson says the agency was made aware of situation in August of 2013.

Since then, Thors admits three horses have died, including two from foot infections.

Horses continue to die... is anyone going to do anything??

NJSPCA would not talk on camera about why it has taken a year and a half to act on the Department of Agriculture’s findings but in a statement said the case is “difficult and complex” and they are working to conclude it “as quick as possible.”

But for people like McGuire, it’s not quick enough.

“They’ve had the report for a year … At this point someone needs to go do their job … How many more horses have to die?

(CBS Local - November 24, 2014)

Florida: Jury Convicts Robin Floyd and Lynn Floyd on multiple animal cruelty charges after they starved their horses. But despite 7 counts of cruelty each, they're only given 6 months probation

FLORIDA -- A North Escambia couple has been found guilty on multiple animal cruelty charges by an Escambia County jury.

Robin Brownie Floyd, 53, and Lynn Livingston Floyd, 43, both of Gilmore Road, Century, were both found guilty on seven of eight charges of confinement of animals without sufficient food or water.

 

Both Floyds were sentenced to six months probation and ordered to pay over $500 in costs each. They were also ordered to take a horse training or treatment course, and they are not allowed to have custody of a horse for the length of their probation, according to Escambia County Clerk of the Courts records. They were given 10 days to find a home any horses they may have. But, according to court records, they are allowed to work around horses.

Panhandle Equine Rescue received a tip that several thin horses were being moved by the Floyds to Santa Rosa County, according to PER President Diane Lowery. She said the horses were being transferred to a Santa Rosa County residence and then moved out of state to a horse rescue in Georgia. Lowery said that when PER investigated in September, they found three emaciated horses still on the Gilmore Road property.

What Robin Floyd and Lynn Floyd were alleged to be doing was neglecting the animals to the point where they could be criminally charged. Then they would reach out to a horse rescue and make up a story that they had rescued them but couldn't keep them. Then they would ship them off to the rescue and no one would be the wiser.

Warrants were issued on three counts each, and the Floyds turned themselves in at the Escambia County Jail on October 15. Additional charges were filed by the State Attorney’s Office in December.

PER, Lowery said, took photos of the other horses to the State Attorney’s office and requested that there be more charges, “since every horse that suffered neglect mattered”.

(NorthEscambia.com - June 18, 2010)

Earlier:

• Florida: Robin Floyd, 53, and Lynn Floyd, 42, arrested on animal cruelty charges after starved horses seized
• Florida: After Robin Floyd, 53, and Lynn Floyd, 42, pleaded not guilty to starving their horses, prosecutors added five more cruelty charges against each of them

Florida: After Robin Floyd, 53, and Lynn Floyd, 42, pleaded not guilty to starving their horses, prosecutors added five more cruelty charges against each of them

FLORIDA -- Additional charges have been filed against a North Escambia couple arrested on animal cruelty charges in October.

Robin Brownie Floyd, 53, and Lynn Livingston Floyd, 42, both of Gilmore Road, Century, pleaded not guilty in November to three counts each of confinement of animals without sufficient food or water.

Now, prosecutors have filed five additional first degree misdemeanor animal cruelty charges against each Floyd.

Panhandle Equine Rescue received a tip that several thin horses were being moved by the Floyds to Santa Rosa County, according to PER President Diane Lowery. She said the horses were being transferred to a Santa Rosa County residence and then moved out of state to a horse rescue in Georgia.

Lowery said that when PER investigated in September, they found three emaciated horses still on the Gilmore Road property. Warrants were issued, and the Floyds turned themselves in at the Escambia County Jail on October 15.

PER, Lowery said, took photos of the other horses to the State Attorney’s office and requested that there more more counts, “since every horse that suffered neglect mattered”.

A public defender has been appointed for Robin Floyd after the court found him to be indigent.

Someone want to explain how he can be indigent when they own their own business, they own their own property, he works as a farrier and who knows what else? This is BS - and planned by them. Their paid attorney advised them to lie and say she kicked him out and he's homeless - that way they get a free attorney paid for by taxpayers. 

Lynn Floyd has hired a private attorney.

They are due back in court in early January, and their jury trials are scheduled to begin January 19. Both remain free on $6,000 bond each.

If he's indigent, how did he come up with his bond to get out of jail???

(NorthEscambia.com - December 22, 2009)

Earlier:

• Florida: Robin Floyd, 53, and Lynn Floyd, 42, arrested on animal cruelty charges after starved horses seized

Florida: Robin Floyd, 53, and Lynn Floyd, 42, arrested on animal cruelty charges after starved horses seized

FLORIDA -- Two Century residents that own a horse-related business were arrested Thursday on animal cruelty charges after starving horses were found on their property.

Robin Brownie Floyd, 53, and Lynn Livingston Floyd, 42, both of Gilmore Road, Century, turned themselves in at the Escambia County Jail Thursday on charges of confinement of animals without sufficient food or water. They were released from jail on $6,000 bond each. They are due back in court in early November.

Panhandle Equine Rescue received a tip that several thin horses were being moved by the Floyds to Santa Rosa County, according to PER President Diane Lowery. She said the horses were being transferred to a Santa Rosa County residence and then moved out of state to a horse rescue in Georgia.

When PER investigated in September, they found three emaciated horses still on the Gilmore Road property.

“While this may seem like the right thing for them to do, we felt that the Floyds needed to be held accountable, since this is the second time that they have neglected their horses and then given them away”, Lowery said.

“This seems to be a pattern for them. Mr. Floyd is a local trainer and farrier and has owned horses for over 30 years, so he should know better. There is no excuse for someone with his knowledge to allow his horses to get in this condition.” 

Business tax receipt records on file with the Escambia County Tax Collector’s office show the Floyds do own an equine services business operated from a Gilmore Road address.

REPEAT OFFENDERS

PER investigated a similar complaint about the Floyds in 2006, Lowery said.

Lowery said Robin Floyd transported nine of his horses to Santa Rosa County where one was in such poor shape that by the time it arrived, it had to be euthanized by a veterinarian.

She said six horses, including one carrying a foal, remain on the Century property. The Georgia group Horse Rescue, Relief and Retirement Fund, Inc. has offered to take the horses.

“We would have taken in the horses, but the other rescue had already agreed to take them. It would have been difficult for us, since we are at full capacity with little donations coming in, but we would have found a way to help them had it come to that,” Lowery said.

(NorthEscambia.com - October 16, 2009)