Man Charged with Aggravated Animal Cruelty in County Road 32 Horse Case to be Sentenced June 27th

 

A Gadsden man arrested on charges of Animal Cruelty in Cherokee County in July of 2017 is scheduled to be sentenced next week.

According to court documents obtained by WEIS Radio News 59 year old Leon Junior Green pled guilty to Aggravated Cruelty to Animals – which is a felony.  He entered an open plea in the courtroom of Cherokee County Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Taylor on Friday, April 6th of this year (2018) and according to the agreement he was given credit for four days served in jail, and ordered to pay $419 in court costs and $175 in bail bond fees – with sentencing set for Wednesday, June 27th at 9:00am.

Both he and LaToya Diane Green, age 33, also of Gadsden, were arrested in connection with an animal cruelty case involving horses pastured at a location on County Road 32.

An investigation was launched following outcries from several members of the community, citing alleging mistreatment of horses owned by the Greens.  That investigation involved, at different stages, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Cherokee County Animal Control, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Unfortunately, help came too late for a mare that had to be euthanized; three other horses did however end up in good hands, going to the Red Clay Ranch Equine Rescue & Sanctuary just across the state line in Chattooga County, Georgia.

www.http://redclayrescue.org/

LaToya Green entered a guilty plea on June the 8th (2018) to a charge of Cruelty to Animals – which is a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 12 months in jail. suspended for two years She will be subject to Review Hearings at regular intervals during that time.

WEIS Radio News will be in the courtroom next week when Leon Junior Green is sentenced, and we’ll bring you the results that same day.

Information is still being sought to help locate the person responsible for the neglect which led to the death of a Blue Tick Hound that was found abandoned on the morning of June 9th on Highway 411 North near the intersection with County Road 31.

It was clear that the dog – later referred to as “Ole Blue” by Veterinarian Dr. Jeremy Deaton and the staff at Nichols Animal Hospital – had been dropped off earlier that day by someone in a vehicle because he was too sick to even walk.  Fortunately someone driving by chose to call 9-1-1 and make a report.  Animal Control then came out, picked up the animal, and took him for treatment.

Ole Blue was being nursed back to health and slowly recovering with several people having already lined up to adopt him just as soon as he was healthy enough to go home with a new family.  However, just when it looked as though he would finally have a chance at the life he deserved, everything went wrong. 

Things took a turn for the worse and Blue died due to complications from his condition. 

Following a postmortem examination by Dr. Deaton and the State Diagnostic Laboratory in Auburn, official cause of death has been determined to be a Pulmonary Thromboembolism, with contributing factors of malnutrition and neglect. This direct cause of death was caused by a heartworm breaking loose from the heart and forming a blood clot in the lungs. 

The investigation into locating the individual responsible for this neglect continues through Cherokee County Animal Control.  Anyone with information is urged to call Animal Control Officer Dustin Dutton at (256) 266-1390.

 

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