Benny Burrows, of 20953 East County Road 159, is to appear before District Judge Richard B. Darby.
According to an affidavit, Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Everhart went to Burrows' residence on Nov. 26, 2004, to check on some horses owned by Burrows that had reportedly been neglected.
Everhart saw several thin horses in the pasture that appeared to be underfed. One red horse was lying on the ground, and when it tried to get up it fell back down. The deputy filmed a video of the property and the horses, but could not locate Burrows.
On Nov. 27 Everhart returned to speak with Burrows, who said that the mare he had seen lying on the ground was still nursing foals, "and they were just sucking her down." The deputy told Burrows that he may face charges for cruelty to animals and that he needed to start feeding and taking care of his horses.
A few days later, the affidavit says, Everhart went back to the property to check on the mare and found her dead in the back pasture. He then asked Animal Control Supervisor Steve Ross to go out to the property with him and see the horses. Ross advised Everhart to keep an eye on the animals for the next few weeks.
On Jan. 18 of this year, after learning that two more horses had died and that there was another red horse "that looked very poor and underfed," Everhart contacted Burrows, who said he didn't know why the horses died. Everhart told Burrows to take the red horse to the veterinarian and to have the vet contact the sheriff's department as to the horse's condition.
On Jan. 19 the veterinarian told Undersheriff Roger LeVick that the horse was malnourished and had internal parasites. The warrant for Burrows' arrest was issued Jan. 27.
On Feb. 22 the Norfolk, Va.-based advocacy group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent a letter to the Office of the District Attorney here demanding jail time and psychiatric intervention for Burrows if he's convicted of the charges.
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