Deputies say man starved 35 horses

[Sister Iroz]

SWEET HOME, Ore. -- A Linn County man was arrested on charges that he starved and neglected 35 horses, deputies said.

Deputies raided Richard Stevens' property early Thursday morning on Jones Road for the second time in three years on allegations of animal abuse.

The last time police were at the property, the owner had 17 horses in bad condition; Thursday he had nearly three dozen.

So Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller personally served the search warrant to send the message that animal abuse will not be tolerated.

Thursday was moving day for many of the horses at the Sweet Home property, and animal experts said it was necessary for every single one of them.

"In my opinion, none of these animals are being treated the way they deserve to be treated," said Scott Beckstead, with the U.S. Humane Society.

Beckstead was helping deputies assess the animals. He said the dogs had been eating deer carcasses, and the horses were obviously malnourished. They also had foot infections from constantly standing in thick mud.



"It's a combination of just pure callousness and not really caring about your animals," Beckstead said.

Linn County teamed up with state police and the BLM for the raid and they said Stevens had several neglected horses taken away from him three years ago but he got some of them back.

http://www.kptv.com/news/18028500/detail.html#SLANTLY_commentformheight::292


send the message that animal abuse will not be tolerated.

ABSOLUTELY.

This fucker needs to be starved to death.

[Jaded]

I have to find the link, but they also removed about 6 children. One of them had been sleeping in the chicken coop or something.

[Jaded]

State officials placed six children in protective custody Thursday after following up on a neglected and starved horses complaint near Foster Reservoir.

Deputies arrested 62-year-old Richard Reed Stevens, 62. The charges against him will be determined later.

Linn County sheriff Tim Mueller said deputies found that one of the children had been forced to sleep in a chicken coop. Deputies on duty Thursday night said they did not know what the relationship was between Stevens and the children.

The humane society was checking on the condition of pets and human resources was checking on the children.

http://www.nwcn.com/statenews/oregon/stories/NW_112008ORN_abused_children_animals_KC.1d270c531. html

[DarkPrincess]

That breaks my heart. No surprise that people who would treat animals like that wouldn't treat their kids any better. I used to go riding and took care of some of the horses at the stable. There was one horse the owner had rescued from some abusive shit head. Whenever I took her bridle off, I had to be extra gentle and wait a minute or two for her to drop the bit. The guy that owned her used to rip the bit out of her mouth, which of course hurt her teeth badly. So she was nervous every time someone took off the bridle. He also starved her and whipped her on a regular basis. She had scars from that. One scar was right above her eye. Don't know what that asshole did there, but her hair never grew back on that spot.

[WhatThe]

Geez, I feel bad if I yell at my dog once in a while... this whole thread just blows my mind (including DP's add-in). I always hope that these people get judges that are animal lovers.

[crickett]

Geez, I feel bad if I yell at my dog once in a while... this whole thread just blows my mind (including DP's add-in). I always hope that these people get judges that are animal lovers.

Me too....
WHY would you WANT 35 horses that you can't or won't take care of....
And made a child sleep in a chicken coop? OMG!!!