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Couple Sentenced For Abusing Horses Near Century
September 20, 2024
Two people have been sentenced on animal cruelty charges for failing to properly care for their horses, one of which later died.
Richard Allen Jones, Jr., and his wife Katy Lynell Jones both pleaded no contest to two counts of animal cruelty, and Judge Linda Nobles withheld adjudication in sentencing each to 270 days in the county jail on each count to be served concurrently with probation terminating on release. Each faced up to five years in prison, according to court documents.
Richard Jones was remanded into custody to begin serving his sentence. Nobles ordered Katy Jones to report to a probation officer within hours of the sentencing and allowed Karty Jones to remain free and to turn herself in to serve her sentence within 10 days of Richard Jones being released from jail. The sentencing arrangement was made due to the couple having young children at home.
According to prosecutors, Richard Jones, Jr., and his wife Katy Jones both owned horses that were not cared for on Killam Road near Century, and both “failed to provide property care and treatment, which led to the intentional and unnecessary and repeated pain and suffering of said horses” between July 2022 and February 2023.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s office responded to call on February 4, 2023, about horses that had been let in a random field on Killam Road, one of which was down and suffering because no one had fed them. The couple had been living in a home located on the property several months prior.
“People need to know they can’t starve their horses,” Diane Lowery of the rescue group Panhandle Equine Rescue said. “They both had their own private counsel and little to no criminal history. We were expecting probation, but Escambia County takes animal cruelty very seriously and strives to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Animal cruelty should not be tolerated, as it speaks to a person’s lack of ability to care, which usually affects humans in their life; their spouse and children are also victim,” shea dded.
Editor’s note: Some readers may find the details and photos below disturbing. Discretion is advised. The details are from an ECSO arrest report.
“I observed a horse lying on its side in the field, and the horse appeared to be deceased,” a deputy wrote in his report. “As I approached the horse that was lying on its side, the horse tried to raise its head in an attempt to get up, however the horse 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 to be torn 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 has its head and neck lying in horse feces,” the deputy continued. “It was obvious that the horse had been there for a while.”
Deputies noted another horse in the pasture area that was also extremely emaciated with rib and hip bones projecting prominently. The horse’s hoofs were cracked and split extremely bad.
A small pony and goat in the pasture appeared fine.
“I did not observe any remnants of food in the pasture area that would indicate that the animals have been fed recently. I also observed the water trough to be dry with no potable water in the pasture. I did observe a small area of standing water in the pasture which appeared to be unsuitable for consumption.”
In a FaceTime conversation with the animal control officer, Katy Jones said the horses had received some feed three days before the ECSO was called, but it had been about two weeks since they had received a bale of hay. She stated that a veterinarian had not been contacted, but that her husband would be checking on the horses and moving them to green grass. Rickard Jones told the investigator that he would come by three times a week to feed the animals.
A livestock officer arrived on scene and took possession of the animals.
Pictured top: A malnourished pony is fed after being removed from a property near Century. Pictured first photo below: A malnourished horse was transported to Panhandle Equine Rescue. Pictured second photo below: Volunteers fight to save “Slick, who did not survive the night. Pictured bottom two photos: A second malnourished horse. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
11 Responses to “Couple Sentenced For Abusing Horses Near Century”
A person who harms children, our elderly and animals deserve to be done the way they did their victims!!!! There’s no changing my mind so don’t try. I do understand the split in their reporting to jail time for the sake of those children but 9 months? For the mistreatment of another life? This just doesn’t make sense to me. Why didn’t they wave the white flag and give those ponies away or seek out help. Everyone I know would have stepped up/stepped in to help those poor animals…to the one who turned them in, good going. You may have saved these precious critters lives. But, you are part of this from here on out because one, you posted your name and 2, you did what others wouldn’t/didn’t. I commend you on what you did. To the one who took the pony in and helped it, THANK YOU!
9 months each is not enough for these two!! I ended up adopting Sonny. He suffered way more than 9 months worth!!!! Thankfully he is fat and healthy now. Sonny would not be alive today if not for Panhandle equine rescue. Not only should they serve time they should also pay for all the vet bills that the rescue paid for to keep Sonny alive.
The court system has spoken, no need for mud slinging. You may think justice wasn’t served, but the real issue here is, the horses. Our whole area failed them. Most know that I am the one who spoke up, should I have done more? Who else should have done more? It’s time to leave it alone now, all the way around. These people have lives too, just like I do, enough, please!
I wish it were legal to be an eye for an eye. I have had rescues for over 30 years because of people like this. Any one that treats a defenseless creature, be it animal or man, should go through they same suffering and torture they forced that creature to endure. While these two are locked up, food should not be provided to them. Starve them like they starved those horses. Give them a real taste of their own medicine.
I watched my daddy basically starve to death while suffering from Alzheimers, and I couldn’t do anything to help him!! To make anything God Created suffer and you Can Help!! That is absolutely unacceptable!!! These people should not be allowed to own or be able to purchase any animal ever and I would be worried about the children too!!
Yea. SMH. Escambia takes it so seriously huh? That’s a joke. They absolutely do not take it seriously enough. Most the time nothing is ever done and this judge withheld adjudication so the sentence was less serious and basically gets them away with any responsibility. When is Escambia gonna wake up and actually make laws and stick to them when it comes to these kinds of things!? Then maybe it would happen much less often and in turn help the county and police not have to deal with so many reports. The courts and Escambia county police do not take this issue seriously enough. These people should be shot in the legs and put in a hole left out to starve and feel how those horses felt. “I said what I said.”
I have longed for a horse all my life.I have not been able to afford one. Stuff like this breaks my heart and makes me very angry.
It is what it is….
But that’s ridiculous !
These people need to be investigated on how they care for their children, if they haven’t been already. If people are this terribly cruel to animals, they may lack the same empathy for humans. This is beyond disgusting.
They shouldn’t be allowed to own a guppy after this.
Cruel. Let someone fence you in without food or water. People like this have no soul. If you can’t afford them, give them away.