Woman facing animal cruelty charges related to dead, neglected horses

Published 6:50 pm Thursday, February 20, 2020

UPDATE: The horses are not available for fostering at this time. They are safely located and being taken care of by Boyle County Animal Control workers and experienced volunteers. The horses will not be up for possible fostering or relocation until a court of law has determined the next course of action. Boyle County Animal Control appreciates everyone who has been willing to help.

 

A Mercer County woman has been charged with several counts of animal cruelty after officials discovered starving, neglected and dead horses on a Boyle County farm Monday.

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Melanie Logue, 47, of 178 Talmage-Mayo Road, was served a warrant and charged with 18 counts of second-degree animal cruelty and two counts of failure to dispose of carcasses within 48 hours on Wednesday afternoon at the courthouse, according to court records. Logue immediately posted a $2,000 non-refundable cash bond.

She is scheduled to appear in court on April 28 at 9 a.m.

The charges stem from a Feb. 14 incident, when Kentucky State Police discovered a dead horse and several malnourished horses on property she was leasing at the corner of U.S. 127 and Faulkner Station Road while serving an eviction notice, according to Boyle County Judge-Executive Howard Hunt.

KSP contacted the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which sent animal cruelty inspectors to the property Monday morning. Another dead horse was found in a stall and a third horse had to be euthanized.

Three rolls of hay were brought in that afternoon, and people began offering assistance with feeding the animals by the next day.

On Thursday, representatives and volunteers from the Federal Bureau of Land Management took three of the horses from the property because it was determined the mustangs still belonged to the government, said local humane society board member John Turner.

The humane society is now responsible for the 13 horses remaining on the property because they can’t be released to the owner or put up for adoption until a judge decides what action to take on the case, Turner said.

In the meantime, the humane society is asking for donations of alfalfa, senior feed, flat buckets to hang on fences, shavings for bedding, halters, lead ropes, brushes and Safeguard dewormers. Even though the horses are under 5 years old, the senior feed will be better for their digestive systems right now, Turner said.

A ferrier is donating his services to help get their hooves in better shape, and the vet said all of the horses should be OK, Turner said.

“None of us are horse people,” he said, so he and the animal control officers are relying on the advice from experienced “horse people.”

“I’ve learned more in three days (about horses) than in 70 years,” Turner said.

 

SO YOU KNOW

To schedule a donation of alfalfa, feed or any other supplies needed to care for the horses, call Hunt’s office at (859) 238-1100. Monetary donations are also being accepted.