Published: January 19, 2008 01:15 am            

5 mares and 5 colts removed on allegations they were malnourished

Ten horses removed from a field near Ringwood by authorities who believed they were malnourished are doing better, and their owner is facing two felony cruelty charges in Major County District Court.

Jerry Dwayne Clark, 70, of Enid, was charged with two felony counts of cruelty to animals earlier this week in Major County District Court. Each count is punishable by up to five years in prison, up to a year in county jail or a fine of no more than $500.

Major County Sheriff’s Office seized the animals after receiving calls for a month reporting the horses were not receiving proper care.

Sheriff Steve Randolph said the horses, five adults mares and five colts, now are being cared for by Doug Keeton, a veterinarian in Cleo Springs.

“So far, they’re doing a whole lot better,” Randolph said.

He said all but two of the mares were putting on weight, and the colts also are improving.

The sheriff’s office received its first report Dec. 14 about several horses that were “very thin,” and the caller “felt they were not being cared for in a proper manner,” according to an affidavit filed with the charges.

Randolph and Deputy Jeff Starkey went to the 160-acre plot south of Ringwood where the horses were kept and saw the horses had hay and water, the affidavit states.

The sheriff’s office was contacted again about the horses Dec. 31. Randolph and Undersheriff Orlis Reames went to check on the horses and said they had no hay but did have water, according to the affidavit.

Randolph then contacted Clark and told him he needed to keep feed and water out for the horses at all times or charges could be filed, according to the affidavit.

Deputy Jason Caywood checked on the horses Jan. 7 and found they did not have hay, according to the affidavit. That same day, according to the affidavit, a woman called Clark and asked if he needed help feeding the horses.

Clark told her he fed the horses a round bale of hay every five days along with some cubes. The woman suggested Clark give the horses more protein, and he said he thought the horses’ conditions were “fine.”

On Jan. 8, Randolph and Reames went with Keeton to check on the horses. Keeton said he believed five of the nine older horses with colts were suffering from malnutrition and needed to be removed so they could receive adequate care, according to the affidavit. There were nine grown horses and five colts on the property at the time.

The next day, the sheriff’s office removed the five adult mares and their colts, the affidavit states.

Keeton has been caring for the horses since they were seized.

Clark, free on a personal recognizance bond, said he had no comment when reached Friday by phone.