Appealing to a jury
Bible camp owner plans to fight charges that he mistreated horses
By Dave Munday
WALTERBORO — A Bible camp owner is demanding a jury trial to fight 43 charges of animal cruelty after Colleton County animal-control officers seized horses the county said were underfed and abused.
The Post and Courier
Colleton County Animal Control Director Tim Lynes greets one of dozens of horses seized from a Colleton County farm in May. Fourteen of those horses now reside at the Colleton County Animal and Environmental Control offices.
Gift Horse Bible Camp Owner Eddy Ackerman of Cottageville appeared at a hearing this week. Magistrate John McLeod granted his request for a jury trial on the animal-cruelty charges. A date has not been set.
Ackerman also is appealing a previous ruling that the county should keep the horses.
Ackerman said the horses were skinny because they had worms that were resistant to the pills he was giving them. He said he called the county for advice and was using medicine a county veterinarian had recommended. He contends neighbors who didn't like the horses pressured county officials to find a reason to take them.
"To my way of thinking, it's absolutely ludicrous to say it's illegal to have a sick horse," Ackerman said Wednesday. "That would be like saying it's illegal for parents to have sick children."
Animal-control officers said they found moldy oats on the ground and algae-filled water in the buckets when they seized the horses May 5. Ackerman disputed the report.
PROVIDED
One of the emaciated horses seized by Colleton County authorities.
The county has spent about $49,000 nursing the horses back to health and feeding them, Animal Control Director Tim Lynes said. Each horse has gained about 150 pounds under the county's care, he said.
The county has been caring for 14 horses at the shelter on Poor Farm Road. The Livestock Equine Awareness and Rescue Network is caring for the rest of them. The county has been paying all the food bills, Lynes said.
The county won't put the horses up for adoption until after Ackerman's appeal, Lynes said. The maximum penalty for each offense is $500 and 60 days in jail. He's looking for help caring for them in the meantime.
Ackerman said the animals would be fine eating grass at the camp, as they have for the last 40 years.
Previous story
Seized horses stay with county, published 05/29/09
"They were created to eat grass," Ackerman said. "They don't have to have all the other stuff that people feed them. We've got grass growing out here knee-high because the horses aren't out here to eat it."
He said he's fighting to get the horses back because he uses them to work with boys who don't have fathers.
To help
Donations to help care for the horses can be sent to the Colleton County Animal Shelter, 33 Poor Farm Road, Walterboro, SC 29488.
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sardis12 (anonymous) says...
Mr. Ackerman can't possibly have a defense for keeping a horse that looks like the one in that photo. That's a crime...
July 16, 2009 at 1:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Hail_To_Reason (anonymous) says...
This guy needs to realize it IS against the law to have sick animals or sick children if you're not doing anything about it.
I get the impression that this guy couldn't produce a single vet bill showing that a vet was regularly attending to these horses.
Hopefully they throw the book at this guy, as stupidity is not a valid defense.
July 16, 2009 at 3:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mienliebte (anonymous) says...
"To my way of thinking, it's absolutely ludicrous to say it's illegal to have a sick horse," Ackerman said Wednesday. "That would be like saying it's illegal for parents to have sick children."
Oh my goodness!! What a messed up statement! If your children are sick, you get them medical treatment, if they're hungry you feed them. Same goes for critters.
July 16, 2009 at 7:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theronce (anonymous) says...
I'm on the horses side on this one. He doesn't appear to have the sense and/or wherewithall to care for them properly. What he needs is a tractor and a bush hog.
July 16, 2009 at 8:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
newbattleaxe (anonymous) says...
Funny how there's not much support for this man. I haven't noticed a major hue and cry from his friends and family in his favor.
Also, I wonder how many dead horses were found on his property. Such an overload of internal parasites as he said his horses had can lead to colic. Colic can lead to death all too easily.
Judging by the photograph, there was more wrong with his horses than just an overload of worms. The photo shows months of poor feed and lack of grooming and no muscle tone. That poor horse hadn't been handled in who knows how long.
And, I don't know what kind of horses he has that can stand up to a day's work on just grass for food. I haven't met the horse or the grass yet.
July 16, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
grand (anonymous) says...
Unfortunately this man just doesn't know enough about horses.Learn how to care for horses before you get them. How often does a vet see them. My mother currently has a horse, he gets his hooves done every 4-6 weeks by a blacksmith, and a vet comes out occassionally. Every time the horse is ill a vet is called until it's well.
Too many horses in one pen doesn't work, they will become territorial over feed, timid ones don't get to eat.
Sounds like a commercial business, even if non profit. Businesses should be require to show vet documentation, carriage companies sure do.
I don't think he meant to be cruel, but his ignorance led to neglect.
July 16, 2009 at 1:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
michelleamaker (anonymous) says...
I can understand one horse being sick, but all of them? Give me a break! Give this man the maximum penalty for animal neglect/cruelity....and never allow him to own another animal, EVER!!
July 16, 2009 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
walleyedwoman1215 (anonymous) says...
I owned and showed horses for 18 years. There's a difference between an animal that's "off his feed" (i.e., a picky eater) and one that's starving to death. The skeletal horse depicted is a victim of neglect--no responsible owner would allow that to happen on his/her watch. Skeletal is NOT normal or acceptable.
July 16, 2009 at 5:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Osgood30 (anonymous) says...
Maybe Michael Vick will be on the jury.
July 16, 2009 at 5:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Sharpshooter308 (anonymous) says...
Lock them up,no good trash
July 16, 2009 at 7:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
panahooche57 (anonymous) says...
First of all I wish the Post & Courier would stop calling this man's place a Bible Camp. It might be one on paper SOMEHERE but it is not a place where boys or anyother children would go to ride or take care of horses. Look at the picture of the horse tied to the tree, I don't see any grass around him. Mr Ackerman had about 12-15 horses tied to tress just like this one, day in and day out. No way to even get to grass much less clean water or food. They couldn't lay down, run or get any exercise. They were completely at his mercy, which there was not a lot of. He had horses with halters so tight on their heads they would have to be cut away to get them off. Some halters had chains on them that cut into the horses face. Now for those of you out there wondering how all this could have been going on...it has taken a new man in town Mr Lyons and all the reports that HAD been coming in about this and not being acted on, (the good ol boy system is alive and well)to get things moving. I cried the day all the agencies descended on his property and took these helpless and beautiful creatures away from their captor. I am also thankful the authorities who knew to look acaross the street for the poor horse locked up in a small room with no light and fresh air (for days and days)all because she would escape and go to a house near by to be feed. This man does not derserve to have any living creature in his care. The dogs didn't have it much better. Trust me!
July 17, 2009 at 8:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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