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Walnut Hill Woman Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges
February 3, 2017
A Walnut Hill woman has been arrested on animal cruelty charges in case that spans back nearly two years, according to court records.
Heather Michelle Shanks, 33, was arrested this week on four counts of unlawful confinement or abandonment of an animal with bond set at $20,000. She was also booked into the Escambia County Jail on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in a misdemeanor case. If released on bond, a judge has ordered that Shanks not possess any animals.
In January 2015, Escambia County Animal Control Officers visited Shanks’ property on Lambert Bridge Road in Walnut Hill where they reported finding two thin horses, a fence down in several places and no grass or hay available. A notice of violation was left. In late February, Animal Control officers rechecked and found horses that were “very thin” and fencing still not repaired. No contact was made with Shanks.
In May 2015, Animal Control made contact with Shanks about two horses on the property, one of which was emaciated, and about downed fencing. They explained to Shanks how to correct the issues, according to court records.
Shanks was issued another violation notice in June 2015 due to her horses roaming, public nuisance, non-potable water and fencing. Animal control seized horses in late July 2015 due to them being in direct summer sunlight with no shelter or water. There was no running water on the property, and the horses were listed as being thin and dehydrated.
Animal control officers picked up additional horses and continued to receive complaints that they were roaming around the Lambert Bridge Road area during 2016.
The warrant for Shanks’ arrested was issued in early September 2016.
Comments
20 Responses to “Walnut Hill Woman Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges”
Jeeperman, what idiot believes everything they read without knowing the facts?? I gave her 7 horses , if u wanna just get down to the facts! And I personally, was going out and making sure those last 3 were not doing without.. !!! And the animal control , police, scheming neighbors, WHOEVER wants to believe they were justified in taking those last 3 horses are the IDIOTS!!! And yes, I am sugar coating my language as best I can..
DONT TALK ABOUT MY MOM LIKE THAT!!! SHE DID TRY HER HARDEST TO TAKE CARE OF OUR HORSES AND OUR DOGS AND CATS WERE STOLEN BY OUR NEIBORS WHO ALSO KEPT LETTING OUR HORSES OUT AT EITHER MIDNIGHT OR WHEN WE WERE GONE.AND ALSO I MISS MY MOM…WITHOUT HER I FEEL LIKE AN ORPHAN…DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT MY DAD…STILL HEART BROKEN…DONT TALK ABOUT MY MOM THERE IS NO REASON.
What idiot gives a woman three horses knowing that the first two were removed because she could not properly care for them?
An eye for an eye.
Neglecting animals is very sad, and my heart goes out to all who rescue them or help to care for them. However, people sometimes are hard hit and sometimes cannot do what they wish for animals, and it is not right for anyone to want severe punishment and abuse for another human being. Neglecting and abusing animals is bad….but remember that mankind is also of the animal world.
Jamie Downham…I am her friend too, and gave her the horses that she lost. let me say this: The 1st 2 horses they picked up, needed to be picked up. BUT the next 3 were not in bad shape, except a little appaloosa mare that was just a little thin from just having a baby weaned off her..But the people gave her to me, and I took her to Heather bc that 1 was gentle enough for those kids to ride..THOSE 3 horses DID have shelter, and we’re NOT in bad shape! Instead of helping her with those “hungry” horses, people around there done everything they could to have them taken from her too. All this following her husbands death in Dec.2014 automobile accident..!! Everybody just kicked her while she was down , instead of help her where they saw issues.. Notice there were no pics of the horses!!!!
Why must the animals suffer for weeks, months, and sometimes years before they are finally rescued? Offenders should be given two days to make things right. Fix the property, make sure there is adequate shelter, food and water, and medical needs of the animals met. If all is not right, then take the animals before they go down so far that they might not come back to health.
Heather if you need help please contact me.
True evil ALWAYS walks on two legs!!!
That’s why those who don’t or won’t take care of a horse should get a motorcycle, ATV, etc. You can ride it, and put it up in a shed for a long time – no problems.
Makes me sick to my stomach….caint stand animal cruelty….gee give them to me I’ll take care of them….people these days I swear…sick in the head…how can they sit there an eat when they know there animals out there starving….I just couldn’t do that….my gut cldnt take it….it’s just wrong….I hAve a rescue horse right now that I’m taking care of….I baby her….hope that woman stays in jail for awhile an they starve her some:( sorry but that’s just sad!
This is just sad. I’ve been gone for 15 years for military so I lost touch. I grew up with this girl and she knows better. We rode horses together, went to horse auctions together and at a young age had been taught how to care for and love horses. I don’t get it. This shocks me beyond belief. My prayers are y’all.
One only has to look into the eyes of any animal to know if they re abused. They do not understand that life could be a lot better. But seeing the happiness in their eyes when they do receive care and the look of relief at having water and regular meals is touching. What are people thinking when they just turn an animal out into a field? All of us need to watch the fields and report on an animal standing in a field in the sun when it is 90 degrees. I’m with MS Williams. To leave those horses until July sounded like additional abuse to me. They should have gotten in contact with that woman back in Feb and arrested her then. She had her warning in Jan. Why can’t people just admit they don’t have the money to repair fences nor buy feed nor have a source of water and surrender them to people who do?
This is a very sad situation and no at this time in her life she does not need animals or her children. But I can tell you that she does need prayer & not condemnation. I am not excusing her neglectful behavior or the crimes she has committed, but along with her animals being removed and children she needs help and love and prayer and the healing & saving deliverance of Jesus Christ . I still believe in the healing power of Jesus!
me and my family were there twice with the horses in middle of the road at night.i called equine rescue and they told me to call the law.the first nite she came home and put them up.the second nite it was storming.thank the cops for helping put the horses in another yard til they could be picked up.yes they were hungry and they got out just to eat grass.i felt so sorry for them.a week later she got another horse with the fence still down.i called diane lowery.the horse was taken.what kind of person just keeps getting horses sticking them in a yard with no food or water.her weight she had on her tells me she was eating good herself. she should be banned from ever getting another animal.shame on you lady.we need stiffer laws for people like that.
She sure does not appear to be missing any meals. Maybe she needs to put herself on the very same diet that she has put her horses. I never have understood why people have animals and then not take care of them. The LORD states clearly that MAN is responsible for taking care of all creatures and she will be punished one day for not taking care of her animals.
Please try to pass laws that will allow officials to act sooner to remove and save the lives of mistreated animals. Caring individuals are the voice for these poor animals. We need to find a way to act quickly when any kind of animal cruelty occurs.
Some people just have no business having animals. I see some neighbors who have always lived in a city move out here, purchase animals, yet have no idea how to take care of them. Kind of the equivalent of someone dropping off a dog. It’s not a dang bear what do you expect ?
She needs to be treated as she did the horses. One phone call is all she had to make, to have them horses taken care of. Peolple abusing animals desrve a special place in the after life, and it isn’t nice!!!!
Poor Horses! The offense committed should share the same characteristics in her punishment . CAGED, NO FOOD, NO SHELTER!