A Verona woman has been charged with 17 counts of animal cruelty following a complaint that she was allegedly keeping malnourished horses.
According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, on July 3, members of the Criminal Investigation Unit received a complaint about multiple malnourished horses located at MC Stables in Verona.
Members of the Criminal Investigation Unit and Road Patrol Unit responded to MC Stables to check on the welfare of the horses, according to deputies. During the investigation, 17 horses were located, and each was evaluated on scene by a local veterinarian.
The horse’s health conditions were scored poorly, utilizing the Henneke Scoring System. One horse appeared to have sustained untreated/neglected injuries, causing its condition to deteriorate and ultimately require euthanization.
MC Stables was responsible for boarding, training, and racing horses for multiple individuals. These individuals were contacted, and some arranged the removal of their horses from MC Stables.
Search warrant issued
On July 8, a search warrant was executed at MC Stables, allowing the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office to remove the remaining horses from the property. The horses were transported and boarded by several volunteers throughout this investigation.
The case was ultimately forwarded to the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office for grand Jury consideration. On Sept.11, an indictment warrant was issued for the owner of MC Stables, Misty Carey, 49, for 17 counts of overdriving, torturing, and injuring and one count of aggravated cruelty to animals.
Carey was taken into custody on Sept. 12 and transported to the Kurt B. Wyman Law Enforcement Building for processing. After processing, Carey was held at the Oneida County Jail, pending an arraignment in Oneida County Court.
On Sept. 15, Carey was arraigned in county court and released on her own recognizance.
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office was assisted throughout this investigation by members of the Rome Humane Society, Rovers Do Over, Leatherstocking Veterinary Services, Oneida Equine Service, and several volunteers.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Verona woman charged after alleged animal cruelty to 17 horses
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
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