Couple face animal cruelty charges [link]
Jim Schultz | Sep 3, 2008
A Round Mountain couple have been charged with multiple felony counts of cruelty to animals after Shasta County animal control officials removed a herd of horses from their property earlier this year that they claimed were malnourished and neglected.
Brent and Kay Painter appeared in Shasta County Superior Court for arraignment late last week, but it was continued until Sept. 19 so they could hire a lawyer, a Shasta County prosecutor said Tuesday.
Shasta County animal control authorities rounded up 17 Arabian horses in February from the couple's Terry Mill Road property after receiving complaints that the horses were being neglected. Painter, 58, has been charged with nine felony counts, while his 56-year-old wife is charged with six felonies. Six of the nine criminal counts against Painter accuse him of depriving the horses of food and shelter while three also accuse him of unlawfully and intentionally killing three of his horses.
The couple could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
According to a lengthy report, the horses were seized in February, noting that workers with the county roads department had to plow deep snow from the roadway and driveway to remove them from the Round Mountain property.
"Most were too weak to make it through almost 2 feet of snow, up the steep driveway to get to the trailers," the report said.
The 87-page report said that nine of the horses were in an open range field that was covered with about 3 feet of snow and that several of the horses were "visibly shaking" and pawing in the snow trying to find feed. Eight others were found in snow-clogged pens, the report said.
"All of the horses in the pens were emaciated in varying degrees," the report detailed, adding that there was no visible feed in any of the pens.
There were plastic tubs in seven of the pens that were filled with snow and slushy water, it said, but noting that one pen had only snow and no drinkable water.
None of the pens, the report said, had any protective covering.
Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Mike Hemker said Tuesday that Painter faces about eight years in prison if convicted of the animal cruelty charges, while Painter's wife is looking at about five years in prison if convicted.
Eight years in prison ... more time than some child molesters ... because someone did not observe food and water in a horses' pen? What if they "observe" my horses in the winter, pawing at the snow between morning and evening feedings?
The photo shown did NOT impress upon me that these animals were at the brink of starvation. What manner of qualifications did the author of this "lengthy report" have? Many animal control officers have NO experience with horses and other livestock, and it isn't required of them. The majority of their work deals with dogs and cats.
So, I decided to read the many comments on the story.
Posted by mountainobserver on September 3, 2008 at 8:45 a.m.
The picture in the above story was shot the day after the Animal control (otherwise known as out of control idiots) seized these horses and any person with a brain at all can see the condition for an Arabian is excellent. Several local residents were present when Animal control came and objected to their fraud and deceit in this situation. If you beleive this story, then you don't have a clue about government nazis tactics and the TRUTH. The barn on site was full of good quality hay and all the horses were in sheltered areas so they were protected and had water. So get the facts from the locals that were there--not the district attorneys office who now is trying to blow a smoke screen to cover their out of control government butts.
Posted by nomeg15 on September 3, 2008 at 8:56 a.m.
I would like to know for sure if that picture was taken the day after they were seized. If it was, then that is not neglect. They are healthy size for Arabians. What you see there is a wooly winter coat and dirt. If this is neglect then my neighbors should lose all of theirs and be locked up indefinately but after numerous calls, they still have their horses. Neglecting horses or an animal is horrendous and offenders deserve to be punished but I would like all of the facts.
Posted by horseman1 on September 3, 2008 at 9:32 p.m.
I have read again the comments about this "story" and it appears there are lots of mixed up bits & parts that do not fit the "story". I would sure like to know the real facts involved here as it does not make good "horse sense". I get the distinct feeling that the "story" as reported to the public is hardly the tip of the iceburg and that there is a whole lot more to all of this than the Shasta County District Attorney would want known, ie, claims of good hay, good physical condition,bad conditions,a incompetant caretaker--Arabian horses are not a inexpensive item to aquire , let alone lose in the fashion described here. Something is not RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by mountainlover on September 4, 2008 at 11:50 a.m.
I went on a search about this Mr.Painter on the web and found that he's been involved with "Racing Arabians" since 1970's, has owned several top running horses that were in the "money',sold several horses to Patrick Swaze,Wayne Newton,and several other big name "race" breeders. One of his stallions was prominate in the race world and is on the "who's who" of race sires in the US since 1980, so I think there's a whole lot more to everything than I've seen so far in this story or the comments.I think someone with this kind of background would be very upset by the "caretaker" issue and "Animal Control" by what is stated here so far. I think the "tip of the iceburg" comment above is appropriate to say the least.
Another case that should be followed to see how much is media hype.
3 comments:
Hmm....same "rescue" that has now gotten more horses from Cardenas, was involved in this too?
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/horse-owner-hit-with-cruelty-charges/article_113bf5ec-3efc-11e4-8e39-0017a43b2370.html?mode=story
I know I am only about 6 years late in coming to this discussion, but I thought I'd weigh in here, as someone who was very close to the case.
My experience with Mr. Painter began in 2005, when he bred a mare to one of my Arabian stallions. This mare came to my property very underweight, and he said she'd been sick recently. She gained weight very quickly with just regular feedings of grass/alfalfa and grain.
At the time, I had another stallion whom I was looking to place, and Mr. Painter ended up taking him home. I'd had a clause in my contract on the stallion that I'd retain breedings, and that he'd maintain contact with me to facilitate that endeavor. When he failed to respond to my numerous contact attempts, I searched for him on Google for months, eventually learning that the horses had been seized. I contacted the HS to find out the fate of the stallion, as well as the mare who had left in foal to my other stud. I was told that the mare had survived, the status of the foal was unknown, and the stallion had been shot dead by Mr. Painter. The photo they sent me of the stallion showed a horse in desperate condition, certainly warranting the intervention of the officials. Sadly, it was too late for Sentry.
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