Karma and Silver, two of the horses rescued in the first seizure at Red Rock Horse Rescue Rehab. Credit PSPCA.
A Lancaster County horse rescue operator is facing more than two dozen animal cruelty charges after humane society police officers returned to her property late last year for a second time in three months and removed 95 animals, including two horses.
Joanna Fleming, 45, of Peach Bottom, is now facing five felonies, ten misdemeanors and ten summary charges in connection with the two cruelty cases.
Officers with the Pennsylvania SPCA, who had arrested Fleming in October for failing to provide veterinary care for six injured and sick horses, returned to the property in December after learning Fleming had been jailed on unrelated charges and becoming concerned about whether anyone was properly caring for the animals.
Officers removed two horses: a 17-year- old paint cross mare, who was underweight with a shoulder abnormality and serious dental issues, and a nine-year-old, standardbred-type mare with dental issues. The other animals included dogs and puppies, cats and kittens, chickens, ducks, potbellied pigs.
Nicole Wilson, director of humane law enforcement with the PSPCA, said she was concerned about insufficient shelter and environmental hazards for such a large number of animals kept outside and about consistent care for all the animals. In addition, a large number of animals had unaddressed medical conditions, she said.
At the time Fleming was running Red Rock Horse Rescue Rehab and Blue Starr Horse Rescue Barn, which promotes itself on Facebook as rescuing horses from auction kill pens and giving them a “second chance at life.”
In October humane society police officers removed four horses, including a newborn foal who had to be euthanized because of the severity of an infection from an untreated wound.
In all 13 of Fleming’s horses were taken in by the PSPCA and ten of the survivors have been adopted. Fleming has refused to surrender the two horses removed in December and they are being cared for at the PSPCA until the court case is adjudicated, Wilson said.
“This case is proof that the Pennsylvania SPCA works to rescue every single animal, leaving no one behind, no matter how long it takes,” said Wilson. “It is our honor to usher these animals to safety, out of harm’s way, and we are the only organization in the region that can handle large scale rescues, with so many different kinds of animals.”
Fleming’s attorney in the Lancaster County public defender’s office did not return a call seeking comment. Fleming did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Wilson said the PSPCA wants Fleming to agree to surrender all the animals and will seek a 30-year prohibition on owning animals, along with the right to inspect the property where she is living. She said they also want mental health treatment ordered by the court for Fleming as part of the sentencing.
The felony charges were for failure to provide veterinary care for four horses removed from her property in October, including the foal who died. An additional felony was added for a Doberman puppy that died during the December rescue.
Wilson said the Fleming case underscores one important element of what constitute a “bad” rescue.
“She claimed it was a rescue but she was also breeding intact male horses,” said Wilson. “Any reputable rescue will not breed horses.”
Because Fleming has no prior cruelty convictions, Wilson said she may not receive jail time.
Wilson said she found Fleming’s response to the charges and refusal to surrender animals despite being unable to care for them troubling.
“[Fleming] continued to double down, not only saying ‘Yeah, I saw those things, but nothing is wrong’ with the problems. And that was in the face of the results of medical treatment,” said Wilson. “Her interest in owning the animals superseded the health of animals.”
Fleming failed to show up for her two hearings in December and they were conducted without her.
Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Christine L. Wilson presented testimony from two veterinarians about the condition of the animals in Fleming’s care. Two of the hearings were on the animal cruelty cases. The third hearing regarded Fleming’s alleged use of a deceased relative’s debit card to make purchases online and at convenience stores and a pizzeria, the district attorney’s office said.
A status hearing on the animal cruelty cases was scheduled in Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas for January 28.