September 2022 Issue

BLACK’S LIVESTOCK -The Next Pasture - Where the grass is always green, lush & stirrup high Individual Horse & Pet Cremation Standard Mortality 24 hour service available John E. Black: 610.220.5262 Matthew Hoffman: 610.656.3258 Office: 610.584.4482 Fax: 610.584.9111 BLACK’S LIVESTOCK P.O. Box 662 Skippack, PA 19472 www.nextpasture.com EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN September 2022 Page 27 Visit us online at www.eastcoastequestrian.net “where (the other) trooper stood holding the makeshift rope in his right hand and his firearm in his left. The trooper fired in the animal’s direction five times, striking it at least once in the left rib cage.” At this point the horse started running and Perillo fol- lowed. “The defendant followed the running horse and struck it four times in the legs with his vehicle, with the horse landing on the hood the fourth time. The defendant struck it a fifth time when the horse fell from the hood. When the horse tried to stand up, the defendant struck it a sixth time, driving his car on top of the animal. Because the horse was still breathing, one of the other troopers present eutha- nized it.” Chester County, Awash in Horses There are almost a quarter of a million horses in Pennsyl- vania, and thousands of them live in Chester County, where horse barns and pastures set on rolling hills beckon eques- trians. There are show barns, there are world-renowned hunts, there are backyard farms, there are steeplechases and miles of trails and farms where world-class thorough- breds are born. Inevitably, horses get out of their pastures and that’s when the kindness of strangers can make the difference between a happy return to the pasture and a profound tragedy. Given the nature of the region served by Troop J, it’s hard to imagine that the police are not better prepared to handle this kind of situation. Lieutenant Adam Reed, who is the PSP Director of the Communications Office, says there is an animal welfare coordinator assigned to the State Police. One. And there are individuals assigned to each troop, but these are primari- ly dedicated to investigating animal cruelty reports from the public. Given Troop J’s location in Chester County, it seems both prudent and expedient for all of- ficers to have special training to deal with the possibility of con- fronting this kind of situation. The officers went to the scene prepared to do who-knows- what. Because they had no rope, they tried to fashion a rope from battery jumper cables. The result of the officers’ lack of preparation, training—and apparent lack of compassion and empathy—was a profoundly cruel death of an animal that needed help. Unanswered Questions If it seems there are yawn- ing gaps in the fact summary provided by the State Police, it’s because there are. Where did the horse come from? They think it got loose from a local farm. Which farm? Nobody knows. Did the horse’s owner Caution: Graphic Content ever come forward? Nobody knows. Is it reasonable for an officer to shoot at a horse that is not endangering anyone? PSP Use of Force Rules are unequiv- ocal. “Members may use a fire- arm to kill a dangerous animal in self-defense or defense of another person, or to terminate the suffering of a critically injured or sick animal, when other means of disposal are impractical. Whenever possible, the owner of the animal to be destroyed shall be contacted and written permission obtained. In the event the owner cannot be located, the identification of any available witnesses who will attest to the need to destroy the animal shall be recorded. When- ever the shooting of an animal is necessary, precautions shall be taken to protect any nearby persons or property. All actions taken shall be documented in the appropriate report.” State Trooper Charged with Aggravated Cruelty After Ramming Horse (Continued from page 20)