New York: neglect case update.

This is an update to a previously posted case.

RAID: Trading post targeted by police and animal cruelty investigators [link]
Rick Pfeiffer | Aug 14, 2008

A businessman faces 17 animal cruelty charges after State Police and Erie County SPCA investigators raided his Bedell Road stables on Tuesday afternoon. SPCA investigators seized 12 horses and five sheep from Sparks’ collection of animals. “The 12 horses had various conditions and ailments.”

As motorists driving by the property Tuesday afternoon slowed to look at the activity and the police and SPCA vehicles in the trading post parking lot, some said they were not surprised. “We live on the Island and my daughter has a horse, but we keep it up in Lewiston,” said a woman who did not give her name. “This place was just awful.” However, Tammy Eldridge, who said she has known Sparks “for 30 years” told reporters standing on the roadside what was happening was wrong. “(Sparks) buys horses, he cares for horses, he’s never hurt a horse,” Eldridge said. “He buys them, they’re skinny and he saves them... This is a shame.”

The animal cruelty investigator said the Tuesday raid was not his agency’s first visit to Sparks’ business. “We’ve been out before to advise (Sparks) on veterinary care and proper feeding and he’s pretty much complied.” Armatys said Sparks has no prior animal cruelty arrests. He said a veterinarian made the determination of which animals to seize. “The animals will be taken for further examination by the vet and treatment,” Armatys said.

XP