On December 9, 2010, members of the ASPCA FIR Team arrived at a farm in rural Fulton County, Arkansas, to rescue more than 100 neglected horses. Most of the horses were starving, and many had open wounds, untreated fractures, infections and other ailments.
Most of the horses are responding well to veterinary care, and they’re regaining strength every day. “The horses are still under quarantine and are not yet available for adoption,” says Kyle Held, ASPCA Midwest Director of Field Investigations and Response, “but we’re hoping once they become available, the community will open their arms and offer these beautiful animals permanent homes.”
Rodney Kankey
As 2010 drew to a close, the horses’ owner, horse trader Rodney Kankey, was charged with 118 counts of animal cruelty—five of them felonies. Each felony carries a penalty of up to six years in prison. On December 30, an arrest warrant was issued for Kankey. Coincidentally, on the same day, a deputy police sergeant from nearby Boone County responded to a call of a break-in and theft in progress and arrested Kankey at the scene. Kankey is being held in Boone County without bail on the Fulton County animal cruelty charges.
