Horse owner charged with animal neglect
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ARLEE — Two horses were seized from a ranch near Arlee last Thursday afternoon, and their owner charged with animal neglect.
Lake County Sheriff Lucky Larson said he and a state livestock inspector removed a mare and her foal from Ron Printz’s ranch on South Valley Creek Road north of Arlee.
"I determined that, in my position as the sheriff, the two were neglected animals," Larson said.
The horses were taken to a veterinarian for evaluation immediately after leaving the ranch. LCSO Detective Mike Gehl, who is investigating the case, said he hadn’t gotten a full report from the veterinarian yet, but the horses were at least “severely dehydrated.”
The animals will be cared for by another citizen until the case is resolved, Larson said.
“We have them in an independent facility,” Gehl noted.
Larson said deputies have visited the Printz ranch before, responding to calls into the dispatcher on suspected animal neglect, but it's the first time Larson recalls animals have ever been removed from that ranch.
"Animal owners in Lake County do a very, very good job (of caring for their animals). People love their animals," Larson said. "There's just a few we've had problems with."
Printz was cited for animal cruelty, a misdemeanor. The Lake County Attorney's Office will handle prosecution of the case.
