Thoroughbred trainer Chad Moore will serve 180 days in jail and is barred from owning or training animals for five years after pleading guilty to six counts of animal abandonment under an agreement entered in Clermont County Municipal Court on Tuesday.
The charges stem from the removal of six malnourished Thoroughbred horses, one pony, and one donkey from Moore's Bethel, Ohio, farm in December. Investigators also found the carcasses of at least 10 horses on the property. Two of the surviving horses were later euthanized. The remainder are under Clermont County Humane Society care.
Moore was charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty and abandonment. He could have been sentenced to 90 days in jail and $750 in fines for each count, but prosecutors dropped six of the charges and recommended no more than 180 days in jail in exchange for his guilty plea.
Moore also agreed to pay the Clermont County Humane Society $1,792.88 in restitution for the horses' care.
"The judge was a fair as he could have been under the law. Now were focused on creating awareness to prevent other cases like this from happening," said Donna Moore, founding member of the Southern Ohio Horseman's Network, a group established in response to public interest in the Moore case.
The group will sponsor classes to help community residents recognize signs of equine abuse, and will assist law enforcement and animal welfare authorities with case documentation.
"Our goal is to have a team lawyers and veterinarians to work with law enforcement when cases arise," Moore said.
The Northern Kentucky Horse Network will also offer a seminar on equine abuse recognition on March 21, which President Anna Zinkhon said was prompted by the Moore case.
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