Dianna Lynn Perkins

14 neglected horses, several more found dead

Joplin and Neosho, MO Newton County

August 3, 2006

The Newton County Sheriff’s Department turned over 14 neglected horses to the Carthage Humane Society in an animal abuse investigation on Monday, August 7th.  Sheriff Ken Copeland stated that the horses were found last week by Deputies who were contacted by the Humane Society.  The horses appeared to be starving and had no water.

Deputies found remains of dead horses on the property, but Sheriff Copeland did not know how many.

Sheriff Copeland stated that the horses did not belong to the owner of the land where they were being kept.  The property owner had given a woman permission to keep her horses there. Copeland further stated that ownership of the horses had to be established and a search warrant obtained before the horses could be removed from the property on Monday, August 7th. Charges are being sought.

Carthage Humane Society Director, David Butler, stated the condition of the horses varied, but some would likely recover.

Update August 7, 2006:

Dianna Lynn Perkins of 6994 Impala Drive, Neosho, MO has been identified as the owner of the 14 starving horses

14 horses, including colts, were rescued earlier this week as a result of an investigation conducted by the Newton County Sheriff’s Department and the Carthage Humane Society.

Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland stated the horses were corralled in a wooded area on Trout Farm Road in Newton County and that the animals appeared to be starved. There was not a blade of grass or any feed insight. The water trough had nasty, stagnated water in it. Officers found some bags of feed in a barn on the property, but the horses could not access the feed. The officers put out feed and water for the horses and left to determine who the owner was.

(Photo of David Butler, Director of Carthage Humane Society with on of the 14 rescued horses, photo courtesy of Roger Nomer, the Joplin Globe)  On Monday, August 7th, the Carthage Human Society and Newton County Sheriff’s Deputies seized the 14 horses. Some were in bad shape.

The situation was initially discovered by the property owner who came to the property and discovered a colt with large cuts on its hindquarters. He took the colt to a Carthage veterinarian for treatment who then contacted the humane society. The humane society contacted the Sheriff’s Department. Authorities had to determine who owned the horses before a search warrant could be served.
According to the Sheriff, the landowner granted permission for Dianna Lynn Perkins, 47, 6994 Impala Drive, to board her horses on the land some months ago. The property owner stated that he had not been to the property in some time before last week’s visit and was not aware that the horses were being kept in such conditions.

In addition to finding the 14 live horses, officials found horse carcasses and bones on the property, though the number of dead horses could not be determined.

This case has been turned over to the Newton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. An Assistant Prosecutor stated the file was received late Wednesday afternoon and charges were pending.

Update December 1, 2006:

Perkins plead guilty to misdemeanor charges of animal abuse on November 15th.

Reference:

Jefferson City News Tribune

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Neosho Daily News