Arrest follows seizure of 9 horses, death of another - video
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reza eslahi
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A Florida man has been charged with animal cruelty following the euthanasia of one horse and the seizure of nine others.
One of the 10 seized horses in Escambia county.
James Benjamin Bethea, 61, of Walnut Hill in the Escambia county town of Enon, Florida, was arrested and charged with two felony and eight misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. He was released on $9000 bond. Authorities found 20 horses on the property when they investigated a complaint from a neighbour. She had seen a horse lying in a paddock on Tuesday morning, and the horses had not moved by that evening. She reported the case to Panhandle Equine Rescue.
"Half of them were so thin that a veterinarian advised that they be removed from the property in order to protect them from the frigid temperatures and sleet expected that night," a spokesperson for Panhandle Equine Rescue (PER) said.
"For one horse, it was too late. An emaciated paint mare had to be humanely euthanized by the veterinarian. It appeared that she had been down and struggling for several hours. Another white mare collapsed while PER was at the location. Volunteers had to be called in to help get her on a trailer for transport to the vet clinic. There she was put in a sling to help her stand."
Eight other horses were also taken to the clinic, where they remained until they were able to be taken to the county impound facility on Thursday.
Food and water troughs on the property were found empty.
One of the 10 seized horses in Escambia county.
James Benjamin Bethea, 61, of Walnut Hill in the Escambia county town of Enon, Florida, was arrested and charged with two felony and eight misdemeanor animal cruelty charges. He was released on $9000 bond. Authorities found 20 horses on the property when they investigated a complaint from a neighbour. She had seen a horse lying in a paddock on Tuesday morning, and the horses had not moved by that evening. She reported the case to Panhandle Equine Rescue.
"Half of them were so thin that a veterinarian advised that they be removed from the property in order to protect them from the frigid temperatures and sleet expected that night," a spokesperson for Panhandle Equine Rescue (PER) said.
"For one horse, it was too late. An emaciated paint mare had to be humanely euthanized by the veterinarian. It appeared that she had been down and struggling for several hours. Another white mare collapsed while PER was at the location. Volunteers had to be called in to help get her on a trailer for transport to the vet clinic. There she was put in a sling to help her stand."
Eight other horses were also taken to the clinic, where they remained until they were able to be taken to the county impound facility on Thursday.
Food and water troughs on the property were found empty.