ROSS COUNTY — A Chillicothe woman was sentenced Wednesday to probation and ordered to not own any horses for a two-year period after humane agents found a horse in a “state of neglect.”
Rebecca J. Snow, 43, pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, in Chillicothe Municipal Court. Along with the order to not own horses, Snow was placed on probation for two years and was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
Snow was originally charged with three second-degree misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals. Each charge carried a penalty of up to a $750 fine and 90-days in jail.
Fayette Regional Humane Society (FRHS) humane agents, who provide humane law enforcement services to the Ross County Humane Society, found a horse in a state-of-neglect while following up on an investigation on Oct. 31.
The 12-year-old horse, named “Charlie,” was found tied to a tree in the rain without adequate shelter, emaciated and shivering. Agents found bark from nearby trees chewed away and there was no water in his confinement area to drink.
Humane agents Brad Adams and Nick Marando took possession of the horse from the Massieville property after the owner surrendered him into their custody. The horse was then transported to a barn in Fayette County.
“We value our relationship with the Ross County Humane Society, and we are thankful that we could save this wonderful horse,” said Lee Schrader, FRHS executive director.
Charlie was examined by an equine veterinarian, where he weighed only 628 pounds. According to the veterinarian, he was about 200 to 250 pounds underweight for his size.
Multiple ulcers were found in Charlie’s mouth and his blood test results were normal. The veterinarian determined the emaciation was caused from the lack of nutrition.
According to FRHS, Charlie now weighs over 720 pounds.
“All he needed was good quality nutrition daily just like every animal should have, which has brought him to his current weight within a matter of six weeks,” said Adams, chief humane agent. “Charlie still needs another 100 pounds or so to gain but other than that, he is healthy and happy.”
“I’m glad Charlie is recovering well. He will be adopted into a new forever home where he will never have to worry about not having food to eat or the care he needs,” said Marando.
The Fayette Regional Humane Society is a non-profit (501(c)(3), volunteer organization. They receive less than 2 percent of their support from governmental organizations and therefore must rely on donations, grants and fundraising to carry out their mission. The Humane Society is the only organization in Fayette County able to respond to calls about abused, neglected and injured domestic animals, 24 hours per day, seven days per week. To learn more about the Fayette Regional Humane Society, please visit their website at www.fayettehumanesociety.com
