Florida: Ramon Gonzalez, 53, arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty after starving his livestock animals

FLORIDA -- A 53-year-old Sarasota man faces criminal charges after deputies received a tip about two cows “that appeared to be starving.”

An investigation into the complaint led to the discovery of four cows, two horses, a miniature horse and a donkey that were all underweight, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

The investigation into the condition of Ramon Gonzalez’s livestock began in June after a deputy went to the man’s property in the 300 block of Sinclair Drive to look into the complaint.

The deputy noted the animals appeared to be “severely underweight,” an arrest report said.

Two round bales of hay were observed on the property, but the deputy noted the animals weren’t eating it.

“The hay appeared to be old and looked moldy and of poor quality,” the arrest report said.

A veterinarian was called out to the scene and told the deputy, “This is nothing but lack of groceries, they just need food,” the report said.

When questioned, authorities say Gonzalez claimed he had been suffering from financial difficulties and was living at the location temporarily until he could find more suitable property to house his animals.

Based on the “observations and investigation,” however, Gonzalez was charged with felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor counts of failure to act and failure to provide sustenance, the arrest report said.

Gonzalez was arrested on July 6 and was later released on $2,000 bond.

The sheriff’s office said Gonzalez’s animals were confiscated on June 17 and have since been transferred out for rehabilitation.

Name: Ramon Gonzalez
Address: 340 Sinclair Drive, Sarasota, FL
Birthdate: 08/25/1963

SOME CHOICE FACEBOOK COMMENTS

Heather Lynn Buck - You want to know what makes me sick, reading all of these hurtful comments. Little do you guys know this man right here cares deeply for his animals. He NEVER starved his animals like they claim that he did. They were all taken care of. The horse that is shown was sick prior to him getting the horse, I like how they didn't put that in there. Also don't you realize that the goats that are in picture weren't taken but they added them to the picture yeah because they don't have a reason to take them. If he was such a scumbag why would they leave them there?! Also left was a cat, a turkey, chickens and pigs. You want to know why they took those animals because they can "rehome" and make money off of them. Connect the dots here people. The only reason the police came in the first place was because of a noise complaint from the neighbors regarding the chickens that where on the property. Yes some of the animals where slightly under weight but by no means were they ever starved. He is not a bad guy like you all are making him out to be. And just so you all know he has a young child who love those animals dearly and has been heartbroken for days since they took them. You do not know the whole situation you just read an article and instantly believe. He is a father whose children see what nasty things you are writing. He is a human being who does not deserve to have his name slandered like this. Oh and not to mention when they were gathering all of the animals they couldn't even round them up, he had to put them into the trailer because they were spooked. Those animals love him just as much as he loved them.

Lisa Peluso - Why would any animal be underweight if feed properly???

Heather Lynn Buck - Lisa Peluso, clearly you did not read what I wrote they were sick especially the horse and by the way the horse was the only one that they were mainly concerned about.

Heather Lynn Buck - There was vegetation on the property that's a bunch of lies. Maybe this can shed some light. All the animals were underway and yes because he has a big heart he did get them and trie to get them back up to wait it was very difficult they bounce back-and-forth. And yes a vet was called too by the way another thing that wasn't mentioned.

Heather Lynn Buck - Wendy Ottati-Watson, i'm so sorry to even hear about that. I will keep you and your family in my prayers. it's such a shame that they do this to good people but don't go after the bad ones who are actually hurting, starving and depriving their animals. Completely bogus

Note: Wendy Ottati-Watson and her husband Benjamin Watson were just charged with animal cruelty, also accused of starving their horses. Wendy must have deleted her comment b/c it's not appearing.

Amanda Gonzalez Salazar - The comments made are more despicable against a human being than what they are charging Ramon with. You all know nothing about him. He is a hard working man who is in remission of stage four Cancer. These animals bring him and his daughter joy. He had been consulting a Vet who recommended meds that were given. This man was renting a 5 acre farm from a lady in foreclosure. When the renter lost her farm, He and his family, four legged ones included, had to take refuge at a friends place until he could get on his feet to get a place for all. Yes, it's true they only took the animals with the most value (pedigree ponies) and left him with his goats, chickens and pigs. He has a trailer stocked with hay and food. They were not left without food. Get your story straight before commenting your sick and demented thoughts.

Heather Lynn Buck - Lisa Peluso, it's just another way for them to make money 😂

Lisa Peluso Heather - Lynn Buck how are they making money?

Heather Lynn Buck - Lisa Peluso, rehoming fee basically a fancy word for selling the animals. Also it makes a good story and people need to reach quotas. There is a multitude of different reasons. They go after families that have animals on property they won't go after the big dairy farms or farms thar carry other livestock as they know that they're well-equipped with money to get a nice fancy lawyer to prove otherwise they're not stupid

Amanda Fillmore Martin - That horse and those cows were not slightly underweight. They are starving. The county doesn't make a profit rehoming animals. Stop looking for conspiracy everywhere.

Christine Manjuck Peterson - That's a lot of emaciated animals to have "just gotten" them.

Roxie N Cary - A trailer stocked with food??? And those animals looked like that!!! Are you serious? I own 8 horses....8!!! That area alone he had them in is so far beyond acceptable.
Where is the hay roll.... where is the water..... I just can't even imagine.
This makes me sick.
Then for someone to make excuses for him...its beyond ignorance

Amanda Fillmore Martin - The county doesn't make a profit rehoming animals. They work to protect the animals.

 

(Sarasota Patch - July 11, 2017)

Australia: Two farmers, ages 65 and 72, receive fines for starving their livestock animals

AUSTRALIA -- A 76-year-old farmer from Tragowel in northern Victoria is one of two farmers to be convicted of animal cruelty charges and punished with a significant fine in the past month.

The farmer was fined $50,000 for 27 aggravated cruelty charges and three cruelty charges in the Kerang Magistrate's Court on April 27.

A 65-year-old farmer from Kyabram was also fined $35,000 in the Shepparton Magistrates Court last week for failing to provide feed and veterinary care to his cattle.

"These cases show how hard Agriculture Victoria's Animal Health Officers are working to eradicate animal cruelty from Victoria's livestock industries," Chief Veterinary Officer Charles Milne said.

(Bendigo Advertiser - May 10, 2017)

Oregon: Joshua Larkly, 40, accused of neglecting more than a 100 farm animals

OREGON -- A Culver man has been arrested on suspicion of keeping farm animals in squalor, with conditions bad enough to kill 14 animals, investigators say.

Joshua Larkly, 40, was arrested Monday after a weeklong investigation into his care of animals at a Culver farm. Court records show Larkly has not been formally charged with any crime related to animal neglect, and has yet to have an initial court appearance. However, he was arrested on suspicion of 14 counts of first-degree animal neglect, 86 counts of second-degree animal neglect and 14 counts of placing an offensive substance in a field, jail records show. Larkly is being held in the Jefferson County jail.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy Steve Keever said the investigation started April 24, when four pigs had gotten loose. Keever said deputies went to Larkly’s property on Elbe Drive to see if the pigs lived there.

At that point, they saw how the 110 farm animals on the property were being kept, Keever said.

Keever said the property contained three cows, six ducks and nine sheep. The remaining animals were equal portions pigs, goats and chickens.

Keever said all the animals were confined to two pens, one about 600 square feet, and one a little larger. Initially, investigators found three to five dead animals, he said.

Investigators contacted Larkly, who said he was the caretaker. He said his brother, Guy Larkly, was leasing the corner parcel, and owned the animals. Joshua Larkly gave the sheriff’s office permission to have a vet come out the next day to check the animals, Keever said. The vet told investigators the animals didn’t have water and weren’t provided with proper food, Keever said.

The next day, with the help of Mustangs to the Rescue and the permission of Joshua Larkly, nearly all the animals were moved to four different foster homes, Keever said. Some chickens and ducks were unable to be captured, though.

Keever said Mustangs to the Rescue provided assistance in the form of equipment and volunteers.

“We couldn’t have done it without them,” he said.

Mustangs to the Rescue is a Tumalo-based nonprofit aimed at rescuing abused or unwanted horses, according to its website.

Investigators want to speak with Guy Larkly, who is a trucker, but have not been able to reach him, Keever said.

Keever said investigators are under the impression that Guy Larkly owns the animals that were being neglected, but that investigation has yet to confirm that suspicion.

As far as why the animals were there in the first place, Keever said it’s a mystery. However, he did say nothing on the scene indicated the animals were being used for any kind of business.

“You basically have a guy who is out trucking, he has some animals and his brother is taking care of them,” he said.

(The Bulletin - May 3, 2017)

Connecticut: Westport health department failed to protect 1,400+ animals from horrific cruelty and neglect, report says

CONNECTICUT -- A Westport internal investigation, obtained by NBC 10 News, determined that the town's enormous animal cruelty scandal could have been prevented -- and that officials lied about their involvement.

In a scathing 10-page document, Westport Town Administrator Timothy King blasted the town’s Health Department.

During the summer of 2016, Westport police said they found nearly 1,400 animals living in deplorable conditions -- many with no food and water -- on a property on American Legion Highway. The ASPCA called it the largest case of farm animal cruelty ever in the Northeast.

The 10-page report, which was leaked and first reported on by Providence-based WJAR, identified several deficiencies in the Department of Health in recent years that King said enabled the horrific conditions at Richard Medeiros’ 70-acre property at 465 American Legion Highway, which was the subject of an animal abuse investigation in 2010 that resulted in 12 individuals being cited for neglecting their animals.

 

DEAD ANIMALS EVERYWHERE

Last summer, law enforcement officials discovered hundreds of animals on the property kept in deplorable and dangerous conditions. On Friday, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced indictments against Medeiros and 26 tenant farmers.

The Herald News filed a public records request in November asking for any documents related to the tenant farm. That request was denied on the basis of the ongoing legal investigation.

The report also validates what several animal advocates have been saying since the abuse case became public; that town officials dropped the ball and allowed the abuse to happen.

“The problem has been that there is no accountability whatsoever. All these people didn’t do their jobs. There really has been no punishment,” said Jodi Greenleaf, an Attleboro-area resident and members of the group Protest Westport Tenant Farm.

While not commenting specifically on King’s report, Westport police Detective Jeff Majewski said administrative agencies at the local and state “are crucial partners to nip something like this in the bud before they become enormous issues like this one became.”

 

In his report to the Board of Selectmen, dated Sept. 23, 2016, King — who could not be reached for comment Friday — said the situation at Medeiros’ property could have been addressed a lot sooner had James Walsh, the town’s former senior health agent, conducted a comprehensive and documented inspection at Medeiros’ property.

Walsh reportedly visited the property in May 2015, a month after a state animal inspector reviewed the farm and filed a complaint with the town Board of Health after finding “dire animal conditions” there.

  

 

 

According to King’s report, Walsh met and spoke with Medeiros, but there was no record of any action taken and the visit was not mentioned at subsequent Board of Health meetings that month.

In January 2016, Walsh, King wrote, then filed “substandard and incomplete” barn book inspection reports with inaccurate farm animal census figures.

On some of the reports, it appeared that Walsh, who resigned from his position last December, had signed the forms in such a way to make it look like someone else had signed them.

“It is my opinion that Mr. Walsh was derelict in his duty to properly and comprehensively complete a barn book inspection for each of the animal sites,” King wrote, adding that a thorough inspection would have uncovered the animals’ mistreatment.

Wrote King, “If Mr. Walsh had taken strong affirmative action to report this mistreatment to local police and state agencies, effective action could have been initiated to address the problems before they become tragic.”

 

 

 

Walsh was not the only party singled out for criticism in King’s report.

Two longtime Board of Health members, John Colletti and Karl Santos, were appointed as animal inspectors, but neither completed barn book inspection forms nor signed them, contradicting a previous statement from Santos who claimed that he had conducted the inspections and signed the forms.

“This place is unbelievable,” Detective Sgt. Tony Cestodio of the Westport Police Department said at the time of the raid. “There’s smells here that I never imagined I’d be smelling as a detective on the police department. It’s overwhelming. It will make you sick. There was one area here that I unfortunately walked by and it made me physically ill.”

But the problems ran deeper than a few individuals. The Westport Department of Health, King said, chose not to proactively address animal welfare issues, except for cases of rabies and referrals from the state to investigate and quarantine animals when necessary.

 

The way the town’s health department saw it, King said, animal abuse was not its area of responsibility, and the department did not seek to identify or refer possible violations of animal cruelty laws.

King took a different view, writing that the Department of Health is responsible for ensuring that farm animals are properly sheltered, given water, food, free from disease and protected from physical harm.

 

 

ANIMAL SUFFERING AND ANIMAL CRUELTY IGNORED
“The result is that the Health Department does not sustain the same level of concern or perception of responsibility for animal mistreatment,” said King, who offered a series of recommended changes to include a “change of culture” in the Department of Health with employees having a heightened awareness about the importance of ensuring the prevention of animal neglect and mistreatment of farm animals.

A secretary who answered the phone Friday at the Westport Board of Health said there were no agents available for comment. Meanwhile, the board’s makeup will change drastically in a few weeks, following the annual Town Election on April 11.

 

Colletti announced last year that he will not complete his term and plans to step down after the election. Philip Weinberg, a retired director at the state Department of Environmental Protection, is running unopposed for Colletti’s seat, which will become a one-year post. Weinberg ran for the health board last year but fell to current Health Board Chairman William Harkins.

Santos also did not file papers to run for another term. Economic Development Task Force Vice Chairman Maurice May has field papers to run for Santos’ seat. May also was a selectmen candidate in 2015 and serves on the Water Resources Committee.

   

  

 

(Herald news - March 31, 2017)

Earlier:

• Connecticut: 'Awful, deplorable conditions,' dead animals at Westport site for 2nd time in 6 years
• Connecticut: Site of Westport animal cruelty case declared 'biosecurity area'
• Connecticut: State says Westport animal inspections may be illegal
• Connecticut: Westport health officials facing pressure to resign
• Connecticut: Photographs obtained by NBC 10 News show an unlicensed inspector alone at the site of a massive animal cruelty investigation, a contradiction of claims by local Board of Health officials

Massachusetts: Troy McNiff appears in court on animal cruelty charges. Neighbors say the animals have been abused and neglected for years.

MASSACHUSETTS -- A Massachusetts man faced a judge on Wednesday after being accused of animal cruelty.

Earlier in December, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals removed dozens of cows, pigs, and sheep from the Westford Road property of Ralph McNiff.

 

Court documents show that investigators visited the property and saw some animals standing in squalor, smelled decaying animals, and observed many living in poor conditions.

The town's animal inspector, Carlene Purdy said that the pigs appeared to be in poor condition, and some were obviously ill. Also, she witnessed cattle eating through plastic to get to hay, and there was no hay for free feeding.

During an inspection of McNiff's farm at 64 Westford Road, pig troughs were seen filled with waste and debris. No food or water visible, cows were seen with matted fur standing in inches of manure. Rat nests were located throughout the property, and officials said they discovered a dead piglet.

"Like 115 pigs and over 100 cattle," Ayer town counsel Gregg Corbo said. "Many of them showed signs of malnourishment or sickness."

Ralph McNiff's son Troy McNiff, was the one who was arraigned on 7 counts of felony animal cruelty in Ayer District Court.

When a reporter fro NECN stopped by the farm and knocked on the door of the mobile home, Troy McNiff yelled at them to get off the property. According to court documents, he admitted his wrongdoing to investigators in a statement.

“I will tell you that the shelter is unsuitable, I do the best when I can. I have people who are supposed to be helping. I am 100 percent wrong.”

 

Troy McNiff's nephew, Corey Arnold says the family was primarily involved in selling and buying animals at auction. They’re now trying to figure out the next steps.

“I just think it’s ridiculous what they’re doing to him,” Arnold said.

Maybe instead of flapping his gums, Corey Arnold should have done something until it got to this point. And little Corey's not footing the cleanup bill -- all the other neighbors (aka taxpayers) are the one's who are paying for it.

Read: "Massachusetts: Corey Arnold, 22, is full of excuses as to why his grandfather Ralph McNiff's farm was full of sick, dying and dead animals"

Investigators said they did not find enough evidence to charge Ralph McNiff. Troy McNiff has another court date in February.

Town leaders say it will take months to clear the entire area, at the expense of taxpayers.

(NBC Boston - Dec 28, 2016)

Earlier:

• Massachusetts: Officials disagree over status of McNiff's 'farm'
• Massachusetts: Ayer farmer Ralph McNiff pays $29G in taxes to keep his property
• Massachusetts: Animals found living in deplorable conditions on Ayer farm. Animals ordered to be humanely removed
  
• Massachusetts: Ralph McNiff, 75, has been battling with town officials for more than 8 years. Finally something is being done about the animals he has purposely neglected and let suffer and die
• Massachusetts: Corey Arnold, 22, is full of excuses as to why his grandfather Ralph McNiff's farm was full of sick, dying and dead animals

Massachusetts: Corey Arnold, 22, is full of excuses as to why his grandfather Ralph McNiff's farm was full of sick, dying and dead animals

MASSACHUSETTS -- After their farm was shut down by the town last week for allegedly decrepit and dangerous conditions, an Ayer family says they have been treated unfairly and plan to fight the decision.

The Board of Selectmen and Board of Health voted Thursday to declare the McNiff Farm a nuisance and a health hazard.

The move, which came following a Nov. 28 investigation requested by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, orders the house to be vacated and all animals, animal feed and animal waste to be removed from the property.

  

 

But Corey Arnold, the 22-year-old grandson of farm owner Ralph McNiff, said Saturday that the orders to shut down were unfair.

"They're judging (the farm) by its cover," he said. "I don't think the town is treating us well."

Separate reports completed by town employees and the MSPCA argued that the farm had a variety of problems, including more than 100 sick and neglected animals, dead pigs on the property, rat infestations, and piles of rubbish and manure. 

 

The MSPCA removed more than 80 pigs from the property after its own investigation on Nov. 23, and it also said the farm lacked proper water for its calves.

District Sanitarian Bridgette Braley wrote the property is "not habitable" in her opinion, and Ayer Animal Inspector Carlene Purdy wrote that she was "deeply saddened to see the deterioration and decline of this farm in one year's time."

Arnold, however, called the allegations inaccurate.

He said the backyard sits on wetland, which contributes to it being flooded, and argued that animals were not standing in 6 inches of manure as the MSPCA told the town, but instead in 6 inches of mud.

Arnold also said the animals are properly fed and have access to an automatic water dispenser.

"They eat a lot better than I do," he said. "We treat them pretty well."

The family raises the animals and then sells them to slaughterhouses to be butchered, Arnold said.

"This farm is not a pet farm," he said. "These animals are raised to kill."

Some have concerns about the conditions of the house and yard, too. In 2014, residents argued that the property should be deemed a nuisance.

Arnold acknowledged the messy conditions, but said cleaning is expensive and puts hardship on the family. He said some of the vehicles that sit on the property are there because he is waiting for parts to fix them.

Arnold pointed to other challenges the family has faced, such as having thousands of dollars worth of tools and several vehicles stolen from the property or the costs of getting farm-specific license plates, as contributing to the situation. He also said that farming is by its nature a dirty business, and that for many years the property operated without other residences nearby.

The town's orders require a variety of actions to be taken in addition to the property being vacated: McNiff must hire an exterminator to eradicate rats and vermin, submit a plan to remediate all nuisances and dangerous conditions within 30 days, and enact that plan within 90 days.

The family plans to appeal the order from the town's joint boards.

"We're fighting this," Arnold said. "This farm's been here since the 1800s. We're not taking this sitting down."

(Lowell Sun - Dec 11, 2016)

Earlier:

• Massachusetts: Officials disagree over status of McNiff's 'farm'
• Massachusetts: Ayer farmer Ralph McNiff pays $29G in taxes to keep his property
• Massachusetts: Animals found living in deplorable conditions on Ayer farm. Animals ordered to be humanely removed
  
• Massachusetts: Ralph McNiff, 75, has been battling with town officials for more than 8 years. Finally something is being done about the animals he has purposely neglected and let suffer and die

Massachusetts: Ralph McNiff, 75, has been battling with town officials for more than 8 years. Finally something is being done about the animals he has purposely neglected and let suffer and die

MASSACHUSETTS -- Dead pigs.

A decomposing rat.

Calves with diarrhea.

This is only some of what town and state officials found while inspecting the McNiff Farm on Westford Road.

The town has declared that the property at 66 Westford Road a "nuisance, source of filth and cause of sickness within the town," and that the buildings and grounds contain dangerous conditions that pose a serious threat to public health and safety -- including more than 100 sick and neglected animals, accumulations of filth, rubbish, debris and animal waste throughout the property, unstable structures and infestation of rats.

Because of these conditions, the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health voted for the house to be vacated and secured within 24 hours, and for the immediate removal of all animals, animal feed and animal waste from the property.

"It's not a pretty situation," Selectman Jannice Livingston said about the property on Friday.

The Board of Selectmen and Board of Health held a joint public meeting on Thursday about the farm, owned by Ralph McNiff, 75, as a result of an inspection of the property conducted by the town on Nov. 28.

This inspection was requested by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which began investigating and inspecting the property on Nov. 23. As a result, the MSPCA removed about 80 pigs, according to District Sanitarian Bridgette Braley.

"It's, in my opinion, not habitable at this point of time," Braley said at the joint meeting on Thursday.

She told the joint boards that there are numerous violations of state sanitary code at the property.

These include rats in the main pig barn, a large amount of trash/debris/tires/metal, dead pigs, and calves with inadequate shelter and no access to water.

In addition, she found: most of the home's windows are not weathertight, storm doors are in disrepair, floors in the main living quarters are stripped down to the subfloors and are in poor condition, heat is not adequate, there are electrical problems within the home, the ceiling is in disrepair and more.

Furthermore, the town's animal inspector, Carlene Purdy, issued a report to the joint boards. In it, she wrote that the swine barn is extremely unsanitary with 6-inch deep manure, a dead and decomposing rat, and rat burrows throughout the barn.

Purdy added that the pigs appeared to be in poor condition, and some were obviously ill. Also, she witnessed cattle eating through plastic to get to hay, and there was no hay for free feeding.

"On a personal note: I, as Animal Inspector for the Town of Ayer, am deeply saddened to see the deterioration and decline of this farm in one year's time," Purdy wrote in the report.

Back in 2014, residents argued that the property should be deemed a nuisance, citing vehicles that have not moved in years and several buildings that seemed unsafe. Selectmen told McNiff that he would have until May to clean up his yard.

But this time, town officials were much more harsh as conditions have worsened at McNiff's property. At the meeting on Thursday, McNiff blamed his son for the poor conditions.

"I don't think that's being fair," McNiff said about the removal of his animals. "My animals were well taken care of in the barn."

Moving forward, no animals may be brought onto the property until the Board of Selectmen and Board of Health have certified that all nuisance and dangerous conditions have been abated, and until McNiff has developed a plan for keeping animals safe and sanitary.

Also, the joint boards voted for McNiff to immediately hire an exterminator to eradicate all rats and vermin from the property.

In addition, all junk and debris must be removed from the property within 14 days.

Within 30 days, McNiff must submit a plan to remediate all nuisance and dangerous conditions. Then within 90 days, all nuisance and dangerous conditions must be fixed.

McNiff has the right to appeal this order from the joint boards.

(Lowell Sun - Dec 10, 2016)

Earlier:

• Massachusetts: Officials disagree over status of McNiff's 'farm'
• Massachusetts: Ayer farmer Ralph McNiff pays $29G in taxes to keep his property
• Massachusetts: Animals found living in deplorable conditions on Ayer farm. Animals ordered to be humanely removed