2/15/14 - It appears a Cohoctah Township woman could be fighting animal cruelty charges all the way to trial. 71-year-old Velva Jean Wainscott is charged with abandoning/cruelty to one animal resulting in death and a second count of abandoning/cruelty to 2 or 3 animals. She recently rejected a plea deal that was offered by prosecutors during a hearing in 53rd District Court. Records show the case is set for jury selection in April. Wainscott was charged after an investigation into the death of a horse found lying on its paddock on her Byron Road property January 12th. She was ordered not to possess any horses while the criminal case is pending, and rescue groups aided Livingston County Animal Control in removing the nine remaining horses from her farm on February 6th. The most recent seizure is pictured. Wainscott's horses were previously seized by Animal Control in November of 2012 after she was accused of abandoning or cruelty to 10 or more horses. Those charges were dismissed with prejudice and the animals were returned. The nine horses that were removed recently were transported to Starry Skies Equine Rescue in Ann Arbor and Horsesâ Haven in Howell for rehabilitation. (JM)
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