A Tallahatchie County man was convicted Thursday afternoon of the starvation death of a horse in the Enid community.
Sandrius Bradford, 30, of 1064 Toole Road, Enid, was found guilty on a charge of animal cruelty by Justice Judge Steve Ross during a regular session of Tallahatchie County Justice Court for the First Judicial District in Charleston.
Ross ordered that Bradford be fined $1,000 and also assessed court costs of $186.75.
Bradford failed to appear in court, so Ross ordered a warrant issued for his arrest.
According to a news release from In Defense of Animals, IDA Justice for Animals Campaign Director Doll Stanley had filed the affidavit charging Bradford with failure to provide the food and water to sustain the horse’s life. Cruelty to living creatures in Mississippi carries a maximum fine of $1,000 and/or six months incarceration.
Stanley was contacted by the Tallahatchie County Sheriff’s Office after a deputy confirmed that a horse had starved to death in Enid, the news release noted.
Stanley and IDA, an international animal advocacy organization that operates Hope Animal Sanctuary and Justice for Animals Campaign in Carroll County, welcomed the conviction.
“The horse found deceased on Bradford’s property was tethered on a barren hill and was not provided hay or grain for her sustenance. I was disgusted when I found the mare lying, half-eaten by animals,” said Stanley. “Crimes involving the starvation of horses are too common in Mississippi. In Defense of Animals and fellow animal advocates and advocacy organizations are striving to rescue horses before they senselessly lose their lives. We are grateful to Judge Ross for treating animal cruelty seriously and deterring future crimes against animals by giving the maximum sentence. Heartbreaking animal abuse like this should never happen.”
Stanley urged anyone who knows of an animal that is not getting proper care to contact her at doll@idausa.org or by calling 662-809-4483.
To learn more about IDA, visit https://www.idausa.org/.
WARNING: The following photo is of an extremely graphic nature and may be disturbing to some readers.
This horse, apparently starved to death and tethered by a chain, was found in the Enid community. (Photo by In Defense of Animals)
