A Chillicothe woman has been sentenced to not own any horses as the result of an animal cruelty case in RossCounty.
.
In a release from the FayetteCounty Regional Humane Society on Thursday, Chief Humane Agent Brad Adams said 43-year-old Rebecca J. Snow, of Chillicothe, was sentenced in Chillicothe Municipal Court on Wednesday afternoon during a pretrial hearing.
.
During the hearing, Ms. Snow decided to plead guilty to a second-degree misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. She was subsequently sentenced to not own any horses for a period of two years, complete two years of probation and complete 50 hours of community service.
.
Ms. 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.
Ross County Humane Society humane agents, who are provided by the Fayette Regional Humane Society, found a horse in a state-of-neglect while following up on an investigation on October 31st.
.
The 12-year-old horse, named Charlie, was found tied to a tree in the rain without adequate shelter, emaciated and shivering. Bark from the nearby trees was all chewed away and there was also no water in Charlie’s 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.
(Above: Charlie photographed shortly after his forfeiture to the Fayette Region Humane Society)
“The Ross County Humane Society is very thankful for the partnership we have with our humane agents from the Fayette Regional Humane Society,” said Executive Director Jenn Thomas. “Working together, we were able to resolve a situation and have a positive outcome for the pony. We will continue to work together to prevent other animals from suffering the same way.”
.
Charlie was examined by an equine veterinarian and was found to weigh only 628 pounds. According to the veterinarian, he was about 200 to 250 pounds underweight for his size. Multiple ulcers were also found in Charlie's mouth. The veterinarian determined the emaciation was caused from the lack of nutrition. Chief Agent Brad Adams said Charlie now weighs over 720 lbs.
(Above: Charlie recently photographed after regaining nearly 100 lbs)
“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. “Charlie still needs another 100 pounds or so to gain but, other than that, he is healthy and happy.”
.
“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.,” added Humane Agent Nick Marando.