Incident Date: Saturday, Jun 4, 2011
County: Long
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 3 files available
Alleged:
» Jason Ashley
» Curtis Austell
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A tip leads authorities to neglected horses in a Long County boarding facility off of Stafford Dairy Road...one deputy refers to the scene as an obvious case of animal cruelty.
The tip came in on Saturday and led to the discovery of 18 horses at the un-named boarding facility.
The owner had been paid to care for the animals but they were found in various stages of neglect…many in advanced stages of starvation and dehydration.
Deputy Walt Pelton with the Long County Sheriff's Office says, "These animals are in very bad condition. There's a couple we're not sure we're going to be able to save or not - it's just sickening."
Investigators say most of the horse owners have been contacted and some have already retrieved their animals. The Department of Agriculture is expected to join the investigation on Monday.
The owner of the boarding facility has also been contacted - authorities say he is currently in Florida and they're not sure if he plans to return on his own.
Long County Sheriff officials confirm they have taken the owner of a horse stable into custody. They say Jason Ashley showed up on the property a short time ago.
Sgt. Mark Hall with the Long County Sheriff's Office says that Jason Ashley has been charged with one count of animal cruelty, which is a misdemeanor. Sgt. Hall also says an employee of Ashley's, Curtis Austell, was charged with being a party to a crime. Both men are set to appear in court on July 20.
Hall told us that the Georgia Agriculture Department spent much of the day on the scene investigating and that when Ashley showed up, "they called me and I came out and arrested him," Hall told News 3.
Owners of horses boarded at a farm near Ludowici began removing their animals today after some were found near starvation over the weekend.
A young woman names Sarah Johns told us her mare appears to have lost as much as 300 pounds. Johns told us she is a busy student at Armstrong and on the golf team so she had been out of town a lot and hadn't been able to see her horse for about two months.
Mark Hall told us when they arrived on scene Saturday night that there was no water or feed or hay in any of the stalls. Hall says up to eight horses out of an estimated 15 at the stables, appeared very malnourished.
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