Cruelty charges filed in horse abuse case

Felony animal cruelty charges were filed Friday in Colusa County Superior Court against the owner of two malnourished and dehydrated horses. One animal died in a local field.

“I’ve got two horses with dehydration - and one’s dead,” said District Attorney John R. Poyner. “If that’s not animal abuse, I don’t know what is.”

The criminal complaint was filed against John B. Allen Jr. of Sutter Creek in Amador County.

The living horse was seized from a field near River and Laux roads north of the Colusa city limits July 27 by the Sacramento Rural Fire Department, citizen volunteers and District Attorney’s Office Investigator Pamela Craig.

The field the horses were in contained very little grass for them to eat. The animals were without water for an unknown amount of time, a press release from the District Attorney’s Office said.

Allen told investigators that no one had checked on the horses since July 5 - 22 days before the horses were seized.

He also told investigators he had included checking on the horses on a list of things for his son to do while he was out of town which he had left with his secretary, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Allen said either the secretary never gave the list to his son or his son never came to get the list to his secretary.

Allen will receive a booking letter and a notice to appear, Poyner said. No date has been determined for his first court appearance.

“I just look forward to trying him,” Poyner said.

Colusa County was the location of another prominent horse abuse case in 2004. In that incident, Poyner’s office seized a corraled horse in College City with a severe fly infestation and untrimmed hooves that had grown to more than six inches long, making it difficult for the horse to walk. The horse was later put down and the owner, Sally Keaton of Dunnigan, pleaded guilty to felony animal abuse and neglect charges.

Poyner feels this incident is worse than the Keaton case.

“To have a horse die from dehydration - I can’t imagine the suffering that horse went through,” he said.

Appeal-Democrat reporter Robert LaHue can be reached at 749-4713. You may e-mail him at rlahue@appealdemocrat.com.