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Approximately 60 animals were found dead at a Rushsylvania area farm last week and authorities are considering what charges will be filed against the property owner.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office were first called to a report of sheep and goats in the road near the 4840 County Road 9 property of William L. Shoots, 73, on the afternoon of Dec. 27.
When corralling the animals back into a pen on the property, a road deputy and Dog Warden Tim Klingelhofer noticed some dead animals and began to investigate. They found dozens of sheep, goats, chickens and rabbits dead and nearly 120 living animals without access to food or water, authorities report.
They learned Mr. Shoots had been hospitalized with an injury and was unable to care for the animals. He told deputies he had an arrangement with a neighbor to care for the animals during his rehabilitation, Sheriff Randy Dodds said.
By Friday of last week, authorities with the sheriff’s office, the Logan County Health District and the Logan County Prosecutor’s Office had filed paperwork to seize the animals, which were transported to Jackson Livestock and sold on Monday. Proceeds of the sale, less the sale fee and animal care costs, are being held in escrow to help pay the cost to clean up the property, the sheriff said.
Craig Kauffman, environmental health director for the health district, updated the Logan County Health Board on the matter during the Wednesday afternoon meeting.
The board issued official orders to remove the dead animals within 24 hours and to remove other solid waste accumulation on the property within seven days. If Mr. Shoots does not arrange for the removal within the allotted time, he will be required to appear before the health board at the Feb. 1 meeting, at which time the board can order the cleanup of the property.
Prosecutors are still reviewing the case to determine what criminal charges will be filed, the sheriff said.
Logan County Prosecutor Eric Stewart said his office considered filing the case as a felony under a new animal cruelty law that went into effect in September. That law, however, applies to companion animals and the animals at the farm were primarily livestock.