Three Starving Horses Seized
Frank Ringelberg feeds one of the seized horses. Hannah Sharpe
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Neglected Horses Receive Care
Animal control officer Frank Ringelberg with three undernourished horses he took from a pasture in Westmoore
When Frank Ringelberg saw the three horses, he knew he had to act.
Ringelberg, a Moore County animal control officer, immediately confiscated the animals, whose skeletons were clearly visible and which were barely able to stand, immediately after discovering them Thursday on land off Highway 705 in Westmoore.
Ringelberg had responded to the location to aid Moore County sheriff’s officers, who needed his help returning a stolen horse to its owner.
“I had to take them,” he said of the three other horses. “I had no other choice. They were without food or fresh water. We had to get them out of there right away.”
The horses’ owners, Johnny Baxter McCaskill Jr. and Tony English Jr., have been charged with failure to nourish. The rescued animals are being housed and cared for at an undisclosed location, because Moore County Animal Control lacks a holding facility for equines.
Each horse is 200 to 500 pounds underweight, Ringelberg said, and it will take six to 10 months to return the animals to health.
“They have no other health issues that would cause them to lose weight,” Ringelberg said. “It’s plain and simple a case of starvation.”
To reach their current condition, Ringelberg estimated that the animals had gone at least three months without proper nourishment.
Animal control officers have seized four horses this year. They confiscated 15 last year. In May 2008, animal control officers seized 19 horses from a farm in Cameron. Eighteen were adopted. The other died.
Ringelberg is confident the three horses he seized a week ago will find good homes.
“In the last five years, we’ve taken close to 100 horses,” he said. “And we have been able to find good homes for them.”
Contact senior writer Tom Embrey by e-mail at 693-2484.
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Comments
GoldenDreams 3 years ago
There should really be a more severe penalty for people who starve or abuse animals. They deserve jail time, not just a slap on the wrist or fines. North Carolina needs much stiffer penalties to meet the challenges of animal abusers head-on. Show them we mean business!
runorbike 3 years ago
Good job MCAC!!!
TooHot 3 years ago
Stupid effin rednecks out there in east bum.
ASU88 3 years ago
You should take the horses to the Moore County Detention Center where the tax payers can provide 3 square meals a day as well as health care. I would rather spend our money on providing food and lodging for these helpless animals than the criminals that are sucking the life out of our tax dollars only to be re-arrested in the future for a more violent crime against law abiding, tax paying as well as employed folks of our county. They have a nice garden plot behind the detention center where I'm sure the horses could get some fresh veggies! Inmates should be limited to week old bread from the local stores as well as veggies that are seconds to save money from the Sherriff's budget as well as the Moore Co. taxpayers. I do hope the horses find a good and safe home and their former owners get several lashes from a riding crop across their sitting skin!
GoldenDreams 3 years ago
ASU, you made some good points and I'd love to stand with you and give these criminals a couple of good lashes, but we both know it's not going to happen. My point is if we give these severe animal abusers (as in this case) some jail time, we would probably limit any future animal cruelty events. Notice I didn't say eliminate, but limit. It's possible we might not have so many re-arrested folks if we nail them immediately. But we first have to take animal abuse seriously and change the law for jail time. In the meantime, let's hope for a happy ending for these lovely horses!
jamjam 3 years ago
ASU88 says... "I would rather spend our money on providing food and lodging for these helpless animals than the criminals that are sucking the life out of our tax dollars only to be re-arrested in the future for a more violent crime" You are right in some respects, but you need to be more specific about which criminals you speak of,common or political. which one has burned more of our tax dollars? Which one do you think can be rehabilitated?
runorbike 3 years ago
The abusers will get their 3 meals a day.....wonder how'd they like it if they were left starving.
OldSpook 3 years ago
They wouldn't care for it to much. However, lawyers would file against the prison for violating their client’s civil rights.
Something just seems really wrong with our judicial system.
kgirl 3 years ago
Good job, Frank. Keep up the good work.
None 3 years ago
Well spoken all!! Just to add a point of interest, Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, Maricopa Sheriff was in the headlines again recently on his enforcement of illegal aliens in his county. If you recall, his claim to fame was when he dressed inmates in hot pink jumpsuits, housed them in tents, and they were required to work in either the produce fields or meat processing operations. His cost to taxpayers was only .28 a day. http://www.mcso.org/
Now our county commissioners have purchase a 1.5 million dollar property to build a new law enforcement center for our inmates. It would behoove Sheriff Lane Carter to man-up and visit a real Sheriff who believes that comfort and pampering for committing crimes is dealt with the same as they did in years past. Turn our golf water-front property in downtown Carthage into a working garden to feed those who have made a personal decision to be removed from society and not pampered by our Sheriff.
If Sheriff Carter wants recognition as a tough Sheriff, it's past the time to get started!
None 3 years ago
I had to share this from Sheriff Arpaio's website: Under the State law Arrests by Sheriff’s deputies of persons transporting or being transported illegally into Arizona: 2,058
Under the Federal law Arrests by Sheriff’s deputies who, in the course of their duties, determine the arrestee is in Arizona illegally: 1,928
ICE “Holds” Each inmate booked is interviewed for immigration status. Sheriff’s detention officers have turned over 34,150 illegal immigrants to Immigration authorities for deportation.
Sheriff Carter's philosopy: three hots and a cot. Soon to be provided in the Gold Bar Hilton. Will cable television be provided by taxpayers?
PBinNC 3 years ago
Frank Ringelberg is a very dedicated Animal Control officer. Let's hope the laws stand behind him in this instance. So many times NC law regarding animal abuse is too limited to allow the officers to act in a timely manner, or to allow justice for the animal(s).
Toda - regarding Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He was instrumental in opening a Maricopa Animal Safe Hospice (MASH) that is housed in a 30 year old jail that previously housed inmates. It was closed in 1999 as no longer fit for human habitation (plumbing problems), but he has reconditioned the cells to comfortably house animals and the place is air-conditioned. The facility cares for animals abused or neglected by their caretakers that have been rescued by the Animal Cruelty Investigative Unit. It also provides temporary care for pets of owners who have checked into domestic violence shelters. The MASH is run by the Sheriff's office. NC needs people like that who are more concerned about the victims (animals) than the perpetrators!
None 3 years ago
PBinNC ~ thank you for the e-link. I see where NC isn't the only state having legislative issues. I also see where NC is now toping the list for puppy mills running only second to Pennsylvania. If I thought I could garner support as write-in against Harris Blake, perhaps he couldn't continue lip service to constituients who have voiced ere with his no vote (HB 460). I miss-spoke, Blake is mute when it comes to his voting record.
Unless the citizens of North Carolina who advocate stricter laws with stiffer penalties for those who abuse animals, we will begin making the headlines on cable tv programs.
Sheriff Lane Carter lives for the paycheck, moment, and power of office. His drain on taxpayers will be felt for decades. I understand now the Moore County Schools wants to hire their own police force. The system is completely broken.
boomer 3 years ago
Animal Control & Moore County are very fortunate to have Frank out there.He is a true animal lover who does his duty well!
Scoot 3 years ago
I can't shine light on Frank being the hero here. I know of three instances where he and his staff were called to check out two dogs that were confined and not getting proper care and nothing was ever done. Moore County lacks regulatory measures for people abusing animals. The two that starved these horses don't deserve my tax money fattening them up. Public hanging would be to kind.