12/18/12 - A Cohoctah Township woman has been bound over for trial on animal cruelty charges involving a dozen horses. 70-year-old Velva Jean Wainscott was charged with a single count of abandoning or cruelty to 10 or more horses after authorities raided her Byron Road home November 8th (pictured) and seized the horses. The director of Livingston County Animal Control, Debbie Oberle, said the raid followed an investigation that began in September, after Animal Control officers responded to a complaint of a loose stallion that belonged to Wainscott. However, Oberle says there have been dozens of complaints against Wainscott that date back more than ten years. The horses were alleged to have been deprived an adequate source of water and a proper diet of food, with all but one said to have worms. Wainscott has denied neglecting the horses and previously said the raid was due to an overly-zealous Animal Control department. Meanwhile, a hearing will continue next month to determine if Wainscott must forfeit ownership of the horses, which are being housed at the Chase Lake Equine Center. (JK)
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