Creswell woman sentenced in horse neglect case
Ran horse boarding business; 61 horses were removed
EUGENE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Creswell woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to 11 misdemeanor counts of second-degree animal neglect after 61 horses were removed from her property last fall and faces restrictions on future horse ownership, the Lane County Sheriff's Office reported.
Gwenyth Davies, 49, was charged in connection with an October search warrant where 61 horses found to be below minimal health standards were removed from her property, where she ran a horse boarding business.
The horses were evaluated by a veterinarian prior to removal and taken to another location for further evaluation and care. Additionally, several deceased horses were found on the property.
Sadly, Carver said, three of the horses were in such poor health that they did not survive. Most of the remaining horses that had been boarded on the property were returned to their owners after proof of ownership was established and the horses were determined to be medically stable.
Four horses are still being held pending the resolution of criminal charges against their owners, Raina and Erica Ott, who also lived at the property, Carver said in a news release
The plea agreement, which contains several stipulations Davies must follow, allows the state to place restrictions on Davies regarding horse ownership, which may not have been possible if the case had gone to trial, Carver said.
“One of main goals in this case was to ensure this type of neglect doesn’t occur again, and this agreement allows for a level of oversight that can aid in achieving that goal,” said Sheriff Cliff Harrold.
The agreement restricts the number of horses Davies can own to four and places her on bench probation for five years. Davies cannot possess nor have physical care of any other horses, including boarded horses.
The agreement also stipulates that Davies shall provide Lane County Animal Services and the Oregon Humane Society with monthly, unaltered photos of the horses she possesses and allow officials access to the property to evaluate the horses and any other animals on the property.
Davies is also ordered to pay restitution totaling nearly $50,000 in the amounts of $18,540 to the Oregon Humane Society, $10,637 to Lane County and $20,379 to Sound Equine Options. for costs related to the care of the seized horses.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Deputy District Attorney Jacob Kamins from the Benton County District Attorney’s Office, the Oregon Humane Society, Lane County Animal Services, Sound Equine Options, Emerald Valley Horse Rescue, and Lane County Land Management for their assistance in this case.
· October 2019 news release: https://www.lanecounty.org/news/archived_news/PR_103019_Horses.
