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Couple Charged With Aggravated Animal Cruelty For Alleged Abuse Of Horses Near Century
August 24, 2023
A Frisco City, Alabama, couple has been charged with animal cruelty for the alleged abuse of horses near Century.
Katy Lynell Jones, 27, and Richard Allen Jones, Jr., 25, were both charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty. They were released from jail on a $10,000 bond each.
The alleged abuse took place between July 2022 and February 2023, on Killam Road west of Century.
On February 4, 2023, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office received a call to Killam Road about a horse that was down and suffering after not being fed.
Editor’s note: Some readers may find the following details disturbing. Discretion is advised.
Deputies arrived and found the horse on the ground, and it appeared from a distance to be deceased. As deputies approached the horse, the horse raised its head in an attempt to get up but was barely able to move.
“I observed the horse to be extremely emaciated, with its rib bones and hip bones projecting prominently. I observed the area around the horse spine to be sunk in with the spine projecting prominently. I observed the ground around the horse to be torm and dug up in a circular area where the horse had obviously thrashed and spun around on the ground in an attempt to get up. The horse had its head and neck lying in horse feces. After observing the horse, it was obvious that the horse had been there for a while,” a deputy wrote in the arrest report.
Another horse in the pasture was extremely emaciated with a cracked and split hoof. A small pony and goat were also present but appeared to be fine.
There was no food or remnants of food, the water trough was dry and grass was dead due to winter.
“I observed the barb wire fence around the pasture to have large amounts of horse hair stuck in the barb wire where the horses had obviously tried pushing on the barb wire to get to the green grass on the outside of the pasture,” the deputy wrote.
Escambia County Animal Control and the Escambia County livestock officer were notified.
It was determined that the animals belonged to husband and wife Katy and Richard Jones who had lived in the home on the property several months prior.
The son of the property owner arrived and told deputies that the Jones family had moved from the property in July 2022. He stated that he fed the animals the day before and texted Katy and Richard Jones to advise them that there was no more food. Robert Jones told him that they were moving the animals on February 5, the report states.
In a FaceTime conversation with the animal control officer, Katy Jones said the last time the animals were fed was February 2 by Richard Jones, and that they had a bale of hay about two weeks prior, the report states.
Katy Jones told a deputy by phone that she did check on the downed horse the day before and it “got up for a good bit but went back down”, according to the ECSO. She stated that a veterinarian had not been contacted.
All of the animals were removed from the property by authorities.
Comments
19 Responses to “Couple Charged With Aggravated Animal Cruelty For Alleged Abuse Of Horses Near Century”
Demand full punishment for this cruelty
There are terrible people in the world. Why did these two people even own animals knowing they wouldn’t care for the horse, just baffling
There are multiple multiple multiple family members of these 2 that live across the road and saw and knew this was happening and apparently did NOTHING for these poor animals. How do you drive by this everyday and say to yourself “not my animals not my problem?” Again, it didn’t happen overnight!!! A bale of hay and a shot of water occasionally doesn’t lessen your culpability either!!! Not lessening the responsibility of these 2, but you all also allowed it.
As a livestock owner I could never leave my babies behind heck If it ever came down to it my babies would eat before I did I’m that crazy one I literally go out there to my livestock and have conversations with them they are always on my mind some people just have no clue and shouldn’t be allowed to own pets this hurts my heart so bad !!
After 24 years in psychology and law enforcement, animal abusers are usually recidivists, just like child sex offenders! Laws are too lean for the crimes of animal abuse. But then again, crimes and sentencing for those who commit homicide do not deter murder, in this case, if the owners didn’t want the animals there are agencies to take ownership of them. There is no excuse for starvation. Even those in prison must be fed and watered. There is no excuse for those accused, those who knew or suspected wrong, and those who did nothing and failed to report a suspected crime.
@Debbie Simmons They starved one horse to DEATH!! And almost killed the other. They both need JAIL!!
@Anne one of two the sad part is that they both know what it take to take care of pasture animals!! They grew up riding and caring for them. The even more sad part about it is this ain’t even all of their animals they have dogs at home as well. It’s sad to see that they let them poor animals get like that and they should be ashamed of them selves but they were always selfish and self absorbed so makes since that not much has changed.
They didn’t become that emaciated over night and if my horse went down while I was there, I would have never left it, Katy!!! Just admit you didn’t care. Worthless excuse for human beings.
I live in that area ( along with a lot of other people) , this could be seen easily from the road, it was reported in Oct ‘22. There was a slight attempt to rectify the situation, but one small bale of hay won’t take care of 3 horses for long at all and no source of fresh water (a stagnant pond doesn’t count). No excuse whatsoever for this, just plain cruelty. How anyone can defend them, I don’t understand, that includes legally? They should at least have to pay restitution for all costs that were incurred while taking care of them, food, vet bills, etc. And do community service, not with animals service. And of course NEVER be allowed to have another animal of any kind.
To hold back food water and care day by day is a decision to put forth torchure and neglect. This is a choice you made to not help and protect your animals that is your responsibility. I know jail time is needed here. Not a slap on the wrist. Not a fine to be paid then forgotten. Maybe 90 to 120 days in jail will help them understand and think awhile.
Brandy, thank you for the update! You are so lucky to be able to see what your care is doing for such a lovely animal who deserved a loving family. These people obviously don’t know a thing about horses. Some people think horses in a pasture make the owner look wealthy, but those horses are well taken care of. Judging from the photos of this couple, I believe they are this type but think horses live on grass and straw. These people need a month outside with no food and rainwater if they get lucky. Staked to a pole so they can’t get shade. Jail is such a nice place when compared to the way those horses lived. Why? I want to know why they did this.
Lazy, irresponsible, sorry animal abusers will be in the same situation one day and will see how it feels. That’s their fate.
This is so sad people just don’t care about the poor helpless animals!!! Now these two need to be taught a good lesson about owning an animal !!! Let’s see maybe 3 years would probably get the attention that’s needed and never own a s as animal ever again!!!!!
How awful,I don’t understand how you could treat those
Horses like that..they need to put you in jail for a month with no food and no water.Then spend the next 25 years in prison..and have a cell mate like me..you would never do that again….
There is no excuse for what they have put those animals thru, no excuse. By their pictures alone neither of them appear to have gone without food or water. A neatly trimmed haircut & beard, a cute little necklace, both look to be in clean clothes & well nourished while the animals are slowly starving to death. This is sickening.
If you can’t afford the time, love, and money required to take care of them properly, don’t have them. Applies to kids also.
Just an update on the horses. Unfortunately Slick(the one down) passed the next morning. Journey is now a companion pony and then there is Sonny…..:) Sonny is now mine. He is fat, happy, loves his Ball and treats . He is up to 1,200 pounds!!! He loves to be ridden. He is so smart, and loving even after all he has been through. I hope that this couple actually pays for their crimes. According to sources they know someone in law enforcement and that is how they keep getting away with this. PLEASE IF YOU SEE SOMETHING CALL IT IN. You can do it anonymously, we don’t care. Just make the call!!! THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR ACTIONS!!!
This is Disgusting, if you are not going to feed an animal then you should give it to someone that will. There is no excuse for their action and there are too many times that people get animals and won’t take care of them properly. When an animal is confined in a fence it needs to be FED & WATERED plan and simple. Hopefully these two will spend some time in JAIL and see what it’s like to be confined!
Please please let the judge sentence these two to as much jail time as the law allows . People like this just keep getting a slap on the wrist and others see that and aren’t afraid to do the same cause nothing will happen to them either they think and most of the time they are correct. I hope they are made to pay for all their rehab cost . Hopefully this will deter them from ever wanting another animal again. It didn’t say in the article if the horses made it or not but I pray they did and are somewhere living their very best beautiful life ❤️