NEWS &VIEWSSweeny & Dorsey Case, continued...


a feed lot a horse that she testifi ed that she knew was underweight did undermine her claims of being a


“rescue” interested in saving


and rehabilitating the horses and adopting them out to good homes.


The Death of Big Rig Animal Control was called to


Severn Stables in January because of a dead horse. T e county used the condition of this aged horse as evidence of ongoing neglect, noting that the autopsy indicated that the elderly horse had not received proper dental care in quite a while, and as a result, had hooked teeth that had caused chronic ulcers in his mouth, was unable to properly grind the feed for consumption, presuming he was fed an adequate amount of nutritious feed. As a result, at the time of death, the horse had no body fat. Dr. Forfa testifi ed that the horse probably would not have died if proper dental care and adequate nutrition had been provided. Witnesses testifi ed that evidence indicated that the horse must have been dead for some time in its stall, and that other animals had access to the body, as there was evidence of animal waste on top of the dead horse. T e plaintiff s countered that the


horse, know as Big Rig, had been owned by the Sweeney family for a long time and that, while they knew it was time for the horse to be put down, were having a diffi cult time emotionally making the decision,


the call had been placed to the vet prior to the horse dying. As it was winter, Sweeney had to wait for the ground to thaw before he could bury the horse. T e plaintiff s presented no witnesses or evidence that the vet had been called prior to the horse’s death. Upon arrival at the property, Animal Control also found two dead newborn goats. T e plaintiff argued that the goats were stillborn. Forfa’s testimony regarding the necropsy of the goats could not rule that out as a possibility.


Animal Control Sheltered Impounded Horses at Severn Stables


T e plaintiff s argued that the


county thought enough of their operation to shelter impounded horses with them in 2011. Animal Control countered that they ended up removing the horses because Sweeney could not account for how the feed provided by the county for the impounded horses was used.


The Crux of the Case Anne Arundel County attorney


William Dunlap argued that, even though the couple had released any claim against the most severely malnourished of the horses (Hope), none of the horses should be returned,


as


the plaintiff s had established a documented pattern of neglect dating back to January. T ere were detailed accounts of debris in the fi elds, soggy portions of the


paddocks, and the condition of the fencing, with counter testimony about work parties clearing debris and patching fencing, and disputes about how detrimental a soggy or puddle area really is. T ere was detailed discussion about how old tubs were being used, whether they were used as water troughs or feed troughs. T e January list of requirements from Animal Control also included having all the horses’ feet done and teeth fl oated. Both sides agreed that the farm met the entire list of Animal Control demands within the time period required (with an extension granted to accommodate the dentist’s schedule). T e county presented witnesses that testifi ed that, despite perhaps nominally complying with January requirements,


the situation had


again deteriorated to one of extreme neglect, as evidenced by the horse called Hope, prompting veterinarian T omas Jett to call in Animal Control to assess the situation. T e county presented witnesses


and evidence that the water troughs were either empty or contained green stagnant water. For the most part, the county


built its case about neglect of all the horses based on the condition of the horse Hope. T e attorney for the plaintiff s moved to have evidence regarding Hope dismissed because the plaintiff s were not petitioning the court for her return, and because the warrant to impound the horses stated “no immediate


concern for the other animals.” T e judge denied the motion.


Disputes continued about feed, with the county claiming there was not feed on the property, and Sweeney and Dorsey arguing that there was feed, as there were several bags of alfalfa cubes, but there was no sweet feed or grain, that they were going to the store that day to restock grain and sweet feed. After a full day of witnesses and testimony, it seemed that the county presented a good case. T e plaintiff s presented credible arguments,


but submitted no


evidence or witnesses to bolster their arguments. T e plaintiff s’ attorney, Wright,


easily dismantled the credibility of the county’s fi rst witness, Lauren Umblant, who testifi ed she had been boarding and caring for horses at Severn Stables and had jointly owned horses with Sweeney. She testifi ed that she was currently managing two other horse facilities and had left the property before Dorsey began boarding horses. Umblant had fi led the January complaint with Animal Control while she was still at the farm. However,


her complaint


was not about neglected animals, but about a horse that was dead. She testifi ed that the horses were well fed because she herself fed them, but that the feed was stored in open containers, was moldy, water was rarely changed and that there was a lack of hay, as well as


continued on page 96


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