Posted on 05/02/2005 11:24:31 PM PDT by Keyes2000mt
COLLIER COUNTY— Over a hundred cows were nearly starved to death in an Immokalee pasture in one of the largest cases of animal abuse in Southwest Florida. After a year-long investigation, Collier County Sheriff's Office has finally charged the person they say is responsible.
Immokalee farmer Wallace Johns can't believe anyone would let a whole herd of cattle waste away.
"I thought it was a bad situation. A person ought to take care of their animals if they got them," said Wallace Johns.
Authorities say 120 head of cattle were being starved and at least a dozen of them died. The cows that lived looked close to death.
Jeff Cox of the Collier County Sheriff's Office was one of the first detectives on the scene.
"When you looked at the herd in question it was obvious that they were very poor. It was obvious that there was a lot of problems," said Cox.
"Severe malnutrition. We had some that were already down that we had to put down because we couldn't bring them back to health," said Margot Castorena of Collier County Animal Services.
It has taken detectives a year to compile evidence against Michael Swails. Cox says that's because an animal cruelty case like this one is unprecedented.
"In Collier County, we've never known anything on this scale," said Cox.
The case also took time because the surviving cows first had to be nursed back to health and then auctioned off.
Castorena and her crew were a big part of the process.
"We picked up 120 animals from the Swails property and unfortunately only 107 of the cows lived," said Castorena.
Johns wishes more of the herd made it to greener pastures.
"I take care of animals like I'd take care of my own kids," said Johns.
Michael Swails is in the Collier County Sheriff's Office on $100,000 bond. He has been charged with 120 counts of animal cruelty.
Swails will be arraigned April 18th. If convicted, he could face thousands of dollars in fines and up to five years in prison.
Yep. Keep 'em outside and make 'em eat grass....
Seriously, why didn't he just sell the herd? Sheesh!
Some wires not connected somewhere, methinks...
Good thing he didn't send them to the slaughter house where they all would have died.
I second that!
I have seen this a couple of times before the farmer gets in over his head and doesn't know when to get out. Just keeps on thinking he'll be able to pull it out. By then it is to late for the critters.
I know they tried to explain it but I still don't understand why it took 1YEAR to decide that this person was starving the cows. The article stated," (I quote) When you looked at the herd in question it was obvious that they were very poor. It was obvious that there was a lot of problems," said Cox.
I say, "Duh"
His Defense Attorney can always claim the herd was Bulemic.
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