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www.equineprotectionnetwork.com


PA Psychologist Ordered to Pay $5,500 For Cruelty to 2 Horses
PA Woman Convicted of Starving Horse to Death
PA State Police Convict Lancaster County, PA Man of Horse Cruelty-
Again
STOLEN HORSES

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Action You Can Take to End Horse Slaughter:

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/legislation/action.htm

More Information can be found at the HoofPAC website:
http://www.hoofpac.com

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receives up to 23% of the purchase price donated by the merchants to
save the horses!

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/store.htm

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PA Psychologist Ordered to Pay $5,500 For Cruelty to 2 Horses

September 3, 2003


Reading, PA –" I am quite satisfied that these horses were subjected
to very cruel treatment…if you were ignorant than you should have
been smart enough to ask for help."

With those words Judge Schaeffer of the Berks County Court of Common
Pleas handed down the two guilty verdicts of cruelty to horses
against licensed psychologist, Donna McGrath, Oley, PA.

This is not the first court appearance for McGrath. District Justice
Mest in Oley, PA District Court had previously convicted McGrath on
August 27, 2002. McGrath then appealed her conviction to the Berks
County Court of Common Pleas where on September 3, 2003 Judge
Schaeffer upheld the guilty verdict and penalties of the lower
court. On the first count involving the horse Blossom, maintained in
unsanitary conditions, McGrath was fined $200.00 plus court costs.
On the second count, failure to provide necessary food and water,
and, maintained in unsanitary conditions McGrath was fined $700.00
(the maximum fine is $750.00) and ordered to forfeit the horse,
Penny a chestnut Arabian mare, already in the custody of Large
Animal Protection Society, LAPS, and to pay full restitution in
excess of $900.00 to LAPS. Eleven months later, Judge Schaeffer in
the Court of Common Pleas upheld the lower court's order for the
defendant to pay restitution to LAPS, and the amount had more than
quadrupled to $4400.00.

The Equine Protection Network's Christine Berry attended both the
hearing and the appeal, each lasting over 3 hours.

"Here is yet another case of starvation and neglect where the owner
professes to love the horse, yet failed to provide necessary food
and water. The American Horse Council and the state horse councils
continue to make the erroneous statement that if the slaughter of
horses is outlawed, more horses will starve to death in people's
backyards. Owners starve horses due to irresponsibility and
laziness, and would never even consider the option of slaughter. The
option of slaughter has nothing to do with this crime. Owners send
horses to slaughter for a completely different reason – money."

An equine veterinarian, LAPS humane agent, boarding stable owner and
two other witnesses testified against McGrath. McGrath called no
witnesses and acted as her own defense attorney. McGrath maintained
throughout the hearing that her horses had access to hay due to the
150 bales in the hayloft and that she did water the horses due to
the hose located in front of the barn. Penny scored a 1.5 on the
Henneke Body Scoring Condition Chart when LAPS executed a search
warrant and took the mare into custody as evidence.

McGrath testified in her own defense stating that she was a licensed
psychologist and that there was, "no motivation for this" McGrath
stated that Penny was special and she had purchased the mare for her
daughter. McGrath maintained throughout the hearing that the horses
had food and water at all times, and the reason others never
observed it was due to the feeding schedule that she maintained.

In depth story to follow.

§ 5511. Cruelty to animals

(c) Cruelty to animals.--A person commits a summary offense if he
wantonly or cruelly illtreats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses
any animal, or neglects any animal as to which he has a duty of
care, whether belonging to himself or otherwise, or abandons any
animal, or deprives any animal of necessary sustenance, drink,
shelter or veterinary care, or access to clean and sanitary shelter
which will protect the animal against inclement weather and preserve
the animal's body heat and keep it dry. This subsection shall not
apply to activity undertaken in normal agricultural operation.

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EPN Sanctuary Horses Need Sponsors & Donations!

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/sanctuary/sanctuary.htm

The EPN has established a Sanctuary Program for unwanted, neglected,
abused and slaughterbound horses. Horses accepted into the program
must meet certain qualifications. The EPN can only accept a limited
number of horses due to financial resources and space limitations.

We are in urgent need of donations to provide for these horses, no
amount is too small. Paypal is available!

Please send your tax deductible donation to:

Equine Protection Network, Inc., P. O. Box 232, Friedensburg, PA,
17933
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PA Woman Convicted of Cruelty in Starvation Death of Thoroughbred
Horse and Cruelty to 2 Other Horses

September 9, 2003

Oxford, PA – District Justice Farmer convicted Alicia Ann Mitchell,
Oxford, PA of three counts of cruelty to horses, Title 18, Section
5511( c) in Oxford District Court on September 9, 2003. Mitchell
was fined $300.00 for the starvation death of the Thoroughbred
gelding Sammy, and $50.00 each plus court costs for cruelty to the
two Thoroughbred geldings, Tommy, approximately 12 years old and
Shadow, approximately 14 to 15 years old.

During the investigation conducted in March 2003 by the Large Animal
Protection Society, LAPS, Mitchell claimed to be a rescue, stating
she had rescued the horses from the "killer pens". Mitchell agreed
to surrender all three horses to LAPS, but within hours of doing so,
and before LAPS could transport the horses, Sammy died. LAPS exhumed
the body of Sammy and a necropsy was performed by an equine
pathologist from New Bolton Center revealing that Sammy had died
from starvation, not colic has Mitchell claimed. Mitchell
represented Sammy to be six years old, but the equine vet's
interpretation of his tattoo placed him closer to sixteen.

The remaining two horses, Tommy and Shadow were euthanised in June
2003 due to severe chronic lameness. Mitchell had been trying to
sell all of the horses; proven by sale brochure she had posted at
tack shops. Sammy was listed as $850.00 or best offer, and Tommy for
$800.00 or best offer. According to Mitchell's former employee,
Sammy was the third horse to die under her care in the past year and
a half, reportedly from colic.

During the summary hearing five witnesses testified for the
prosecution, including: an equine vet, an equine pathologist, a
former boarder, a former employee and JoAnne Mauger, a duly sworn
humane police officer for 15 years with the Large Animal Protection
Society and a lifelong horsewoman.

At the time of the investigation Mitchell stated to LAPS that she
loved these horses. Mitchell offered nothing in her defense during
her court appearance.

PA State Police Convict Lancaster County, PA Man of Horse Cruelty-
Again

Gap, PA – District Justice Isaac Stoltzfus, Gap District Court found
Lorenzo Riccobono, Gap, PA guilty of cruelty to horses and fined
$300.00 plus court costs of $117.00 on March 18, 2003. PA State
Police investigated a complaint in February 2003 of cruelty to
horses due to a down draft horse that was suffering from dehydration
and starvation. The horse was euthanised. The veterinarian told
investigators that he had previously euthanised another draft horse
in January 2003 due to the same conditions.

In September 2002 the Large Animal Protection Society, LAPS,
investigated a cruelty complaint involving an injured draft horse.
The horse was found to be suffering from a broken hip and was
euthanised. Ricobono told investigators that he loves these horses
and had been treating it with penicillin. Ricobono also told
investigators that his brother owns a carriage business in New York
City. Ricobono stated he purchases horses for his brother and also
provided rest for the horses.

This is not Ricobono's first time in court. PA State Police filed
charges against Ricobono in 1999 and on December 8, 1999, District
Justice Stoltzfus found Ricobono guilty after a hearing of one count
of cruelty to animals, Title 18, Section 5511 (c) regarding failure
to provide food, water and shelter to 2 horses and a pony. Mr.
Riccobono was ordered to pay $125.00 in fines and court costs. The
minimum fine under PA law is $50.00. Court costs are generally
$50.00 to $60.00. The draft horse and the pony both had to be
euthanised due to their conditions. State Police have also
investigated a horse that was killed by a car in front of his
property on Route 30 in July 2002.

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Action You Can Take to End Horse Slaughter:

http://www.equineprotectionnetwork.com/legislation/action.htm

More Information can be found at the HoofPAC website:
http://www.hoofpac.com

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STOLEN HORSES
OH Stolen Horses $2000.00 Reward for Joey & Lightning –Stolen
9/15/02003

Please print out & distribute this flyer:

http://www.netposse.com/stolenmissing/pdfflyers/flyerJoeyOHSept-15-
03.pdf
http://www.netposse.com/stolenmissing/pdfflyers/flyerlightningOHSept-
15-03.pdf

Acrobat Reader needed to view flyers.

From Stolen Horse International (Net Posse)

Joey and Lightening Stolen from Kent Ohio (see Lightning here)
Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
Larry Hannum (lstable@...) on Friday, September 19, 2003 at
08:10:19
---------------------------------------------------------------------
------

real name: Larry Hannum

email: lstable@...

city: Kent

state and_zip: Ohio

home phone: 330 592 5054

date_of_theft: Sept 15 2003

type_of_theft: farm

city county_of_theft: Kent Ohio

Description of Joey

breed: quarter horse

sex: geldings

color: gray

age: 6

weight: both 1100

height: 16.1

identifiable characteristics: gray-pink between nostrils palomino-
brand on left hip-cancer on left side of neck
Description of Lightning
horses name: Lighting

breed: Palomino

sex: gelding

color: Palomino

age: 10

weight: both 1100

height: 115.2

identifiable characteristics: palomino-
· brand on left hip FV
· Stocky build
· White mane and tail

how stolen: out of barn

local agency: Portage County Sheriff Department

agency address: 8240 Infirmary Rd.

agency city: Portage, OH

agency state and zip: 44266

agency phone: 330 296 5100

agency report date: Sept. 16 2003

agency case num: 03-15592

agency contact: Det. Jack Herman

reward: Yes

reward_how_much: 2000

reward_who_pays: larry hannum

reward_notes: arrest and conviction or return of horses
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For a current listing of stolen horses view the Idaho Alerts at:

http://www.netposse.com/stolenmissing/stolen_o_s.htm

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Please send your tax deductible donation to:

Equine Protection Network, Inc., P. O. Box 232, Friedensburg, PA,
17933

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