Farmed animal neglect
Somerton, AZ (US)Incident Date: Monday, Dec 10, 2007
County: Yuma
Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Matthew T. Ashby
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
The severe malnutrition of five horses, two burros and a steer have led to felony charges of animal cruelty for a Somerton man.
Founders of the local horse rescue group Triple R Ranch called the abuse one of the worst cases they've ever seen in Yuma County.
Matthew T. Ashby, 44, was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of felony cruelty to animals, according to a press statement from the Yuma County Sheriff's Office. Ashby was booked into Yuma County jail.
Bureau of Land Management officials say they also cited Ashby because he adopted several of the animals through the BLM's wild mustang and burro program.
"With one phone call he could have avoided this," said Roger Oyler, wild horse specialist for the local BLM office. "We could have come and taken these animals. It's hard to understand why he never walked down there and realized those animals were in pretty poor condition."
Authorities were called Wednesday to Ashby's residence on the 14600 block of S. Avenue A 1/2. Among the animals there they found one horse in such advanced stages of malnutrition that a veterinarian had to euthanize the animal immediately, according to the press statement. A newly born foal from that horse was also dead.
Three mustangs and a burro were taken from Ashby and are now being cared for by Triple R Ranch, a new nonprofit rescue program.
"This abuse was severe," said Kim Wolf, a founder of the program. "Why don't people call for help? There is no reason for this."
Oyler said that only the adopted animals were taken through BLM because it had no authority over the remaining horse, burro and steer. Officials with the sheriff's office were not available at press time to explain why animals included in the investigation were left in Ashby's care.
Wolf, who visited the Ashby residence Wednesday, said the animals left behind had been neglected just as much as the mustangs and burro that Ashby had adopted through the BLM.
"They were thin. Their stalls were very muddy and there was no shade," Wolf said.
Oyler said the rescued horses will survive, but have a long recovery ahead of them.
"They were not in bad shape, but they weren't in good shape," Oyler said, noting that Ashby had fed the horses between Wednesday and Monday. "They're not real weak, but not as feisty as most wild horses I've dealt with. The biggest problem is their feet, which are so long that the horses are walking on their hocks."
Oyler added that he's seen little horse abuse in his career, limiting his ability to compare this case with others.
"This is the first time in my 15 years that we've had to repossess any animals because of neglect, which is actually a pretty good thing," the BLM official said. "Most people who adopt horses take pretty good care of them."
Case UpdatesA Somerton man has been fined $3,000 and sentenced to two years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to neglecting horses he adopted through a government program.
U.S. Magistrate Jay Irwin of Yuma this week also ordered Matthew T. Ashby to pay $365 in restitution.
Ashby, who had adopted three wild horses and a burro from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in April 2006, was originally charged in February of this year with four counts of inhumane treatment of three wild horses and one wild burro, and four counts of violation of terms of adoption.
The charges were filed after authorities were called to his property in the 14600 block of South Avenue A-1/2 based on complaints of abuse concerning a privately owned horse that was pregnant. The foal died and the horse's poor condition led to its euthanization on the site.
He pleaded guilty in April to two counts of inhumane treatment of two adopted wild horses.
The surviving animals were given to Triple R Ranch, a local nonprofit rescue group whose leaders called the case some of the worst abuse they had ever seen.
One horse and one burro were reassigned to other adopters in March 2008 and the other two horses were sent to the BLM Ridgecrest Holding Facility in California to be placed back in the adoption program. | Source: YumaSun.com - May 29, 2008
Update posted on May 29, 2008 - 4:13PM |
A Somerton man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of leaving horses adopted through a government program without proper feed, water or medical care.
Matthew Ashby, 44, faces a maximum of year in federal prison, a $2,000 fine or both, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which announced the plea Monday. Ashby appeared before U.S. Magistrate Jay Irwin late last week.
The judge will announce sentencing on May 28.
Ashby had adopted the three wild horses and a burro from the Bureau of Land Management. Authorities were originally called to his property, however, based on complaints of abuse concerning a privately owned horse that was pregnant, according to file stories from The Sun. The foal died and the horse's poor condition led to its euthanization on the site.
The surviving animals were given to Triple R Ranch, a local non-profit rescue group whose leaders called the case some of the worst abuse they had ever seen.
Ashby still faces two counts of felony cruelty to animals through the Yuma County Attorney's Office for his treatment of the non-BLM horses. His case is still pending, according to the attorney's office, and a trial has not been set.
The animals were seized back in December. At that time Yuma Regional Medical Center confirmed that Ashby was employed at the hospital. Numerous phone calls to The Sun reported that Ashby worked as a nurse.
His property is located along the 14600 block of S. Avenue A 1/2. | Source: Yuma Sun - April 15, 2008
Update posted on Apr 15, 2008 - 4:08PM |
A Somerton man arrested Monday for neglecting horses and other livestock was reported by a neighbor at least two months ago, but animal control officials say they visited then and had every reason to think the abuse had ended.
Officials with the Humane Society of Yuma also said that a lack of further complaints and limited staffing kept their officers from making follow-up visits to Matthew Ashby's property.
"We went out there, notified the owner of our concerns and there was proof he was in the beginning stages of treatment, giving feed and some medication," said Annette Lagunas, director of operations for HSOY's animal shelter. "We closed the case then. He appeared to be trying at that point."
The woman who reported Ashby, neighbor Bobbie Kessler, said she couldn't understand why authorities didn't take action against Ashby when the alleged abuse was first seen.
"I am outraged," Kessler said. "This should never have happened. Those horses could have been saved two months ago."
Meanwhile the humane society and Yuma County Sheriff's Office both say that neither is perfectly equipped to handle reports of livestock abuse, which both entities say is on the rise.
Ashby was arrested Mo day on suspicion of severe malnutrition of five horses, two burros and a steer. One horse suffered from such advanced malnutrition that a veterinarian euthanized the animal immediately, according to the sheriff's office. A newly born foal from that horse was also dead.
Ashby has been charged with two counts of felony cruelty to animals, plus misdemeanor charges are expected from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Ashby had adopted three wild mustang horses and a burro through a BLM program. Those particular animals are now being cared for by Triple R Ranch, a new nonprofit program that rescues horses and other livestock.
A horse, burro and steer remain on Ashby's property and were not confiscated, according to Capt. Eben Bratcher, sheriff's office spokesman.
The animals were left in the owner's care based on the decision of a state livestock inspector, Bratcher said, adding that prior to being arrested, Ashby appeared to be feeding his animals again.
"The state livestock office is going to be watching very, very closely, as well as our own monitoring to make sure that the animals are taken care of and fed properly," said Bratcher.
Ashby lives in the 14600 block of South Avenue A-1/2. Yuma Regional Medical Center confirmed Tuesday that Ashby is employed at the hospital. Numerous phone calls and e-mails to The Sun have stated that Ashby works as a nurse.
Kessler, the concerned neighbor, said Ashby's animals were without water or shade and were standing in water when she reported him two months ago.
The recent increase in reports of livestock abuse presents a major challenge for agencies that admit they aren't as prepared as they would like to be for these cases. Bratcher stressed that the sheriff's office is a law enforcement agency accustomed to dealing with humans, while HSOY's Lagunas said Yuma's animal shelter is simply built more around care for dogs and cats.
"But the humane society isn't going to let any animal suffer," Lagunas stressed, adding that HSOY calls on local livestock experts for help when needed. "We also have a great partnership with the sheriff's department, which has been able to come out and assist us on other livestock cases."
Bratcher and Lagunas pointed to a second challenge, the fact that Yuma no longer has its own state livestock inspector. The nearest such official, who has the power to seize animals, works out of Phoenix.
"This is kind of a new field for us to deal in," Bratcher said.
He said reports of livestock abuse are rising for another reason, too.
"I think we're also just getting more calls from the public. There has been a real focus on animal cruelty in the media. I think public perception has swayed, and not taking care of animals is not something people overlook anymore." | Source: Yuma Sun - Dec 12, 2007
Update posted on Dec 12, 2007 - 4:41PM |
References« AZ State Animal Cruelty Map
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