By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

MOREHEAD, Ky. — State and local officials made a gruesome discovery in Rowan County last week that has lead to charges against a local man, with many questions unanswered.

Thirty-one dead horses were found on the property of Don Miller, with at least 10 others in bad shape. The remaining 14 horses on the property were in good condition.

Initial reports seem to suggest starvation as the cause of death. Eleven of the dead horses were found in a barn; the remaining 20 were located on another part of the farm.

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has filed charges under Kentucky Revised Statute 257.160, which dictates how animal carcasses are to be disposed of. The first offense is punishable by a fine of $100-$500. Subsequent offenses are punishable by fines of $500-$1,000, up to 30 days in jail or both fines and jail time.

The living horses remain on Miller’s property under the care of a representative of the Lewis County Humane Society. The carcasses were buried on the site under the direction of the KDA.

Miller had told officials he had been in ill health and unable to care for the animals. Repeated calls to the Rowan County Sheriff’s office went unreturned last week; however, a report in the Sunday edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader shed new light on the investigation, as a sheriff’s office detective stated that the remains of the 20 horses found on a remote section of the farm could have been there for as many as 30 years.

He noted it was not unusual, in years past, for animals to be carted off to other areas of a farm and left to decompose. The report also said the focus now will be on the 11 horses found dead in a barn.
While it remains to be seen if the death of the animals came from neglect or a lack of ability to afford to feed them, cases have popped up around the state this year in the wake of low hay supplies and high costs. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has fought the abuse of horses since its origin in 1866. It was the first humane organization in the Americas and today has more than one million supporters throughout North America.

Of the many educational programs offered by the ASPCA, one is designed specifically for horses in its effort to better inform the public of care for the animals and how to spot and stop abuse. As part of the program, the organization works to protect and aid horses through legislation, advocacy, education and targeted grants.

Last month, the group announced its grant recipients for the first quarter of 2008. An ASPCA release noted “at a time when hay prices are at a record high and many areas of the country have experienced record snowfalls, the ASPCA has donated a total of $77,000 to rescue groups and humane organizations across the country.”

ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres said, “The ASPCA has made a strong commitment to equine rescue and welfare efforts, and the ASPCA Equine Fund is a perfect example of that commitment. These grants are a way for us to show these organizations how much we value their tireless efforts.

“I hope the equine-loving public will continue to support the Fund as well, to enable us to continue making these grants.”

The grants went to a variety of different groups across the country to assist in everything from buying a tractor at Horse Haven of Knoxville, Tenn., to funding for an equine rehabilitation program within the Future Farmers of America program at Red Bluff Joint Union High School District in Red Bluff, Calif.

Kentucky has local organizations to aid in the rescue of horses, including the Kentucky Equine Humane Center located near Nicholasville. In a Farm World interview last January, Lori Neagle, executive director of the center, said, “This is a positive place. We are here, first for the horses and also for the people who are caring and want to take care of their animals, but life’s experiences have kept them from doing that.

“We don’t judge people here.”

The ASPCA offers tips to help horses. For more information, visit its website at www.aspca.org

The investigation into the death of the horses in Rowan County continues, but it is uncertain whether Miller will face any more charges.