Pocono News Section

Animal Neglect Ruling Irks Rescue Volunteers

Animal Neglect Ruling Irks Rescue Volunteers - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 04:18AM EST

Reported by: Jeremy Deebel
Monday May 10 2010
Two horses were recently returned to an owner who was convicted of animal neglect.

That has volunteers at a local rescue center outraged. They're now on a quest for tougher state laws.

For more than a decade, volunteers at the Appalachian Horse Help and Rescue have been nurturing neglected animals back to health.

However, they believe their efforts are being undermined by state laws they say aren't strict enough.

AHHR volunteer Janet Nash explained, "We need to give judges and district justices more leverage to stand on and get legislation out there to be sure that these animals have rights and aren't just a possession."

Back in March, AHHR volunteers took in Polly and Parker, a mare and foal seized by the SPCA from a farm near Allenwood.

Nash recalled, "They were found in about four feet of muck and dirt and waste, and didn't have a good source of food and water."

Polly and Parker spent just over two months at the Appalachian Horse Help and Rescue being nursed back to health.

They were picked up on Friday by their owner, Rhonda Neece, following a court order.

Video shot by AHHR volunteers shows Neece struggling to load the horses into her trailer.

Those volunteers are calling on the state legislature to make it harder for people convicted of cruelty or neglect to get their animals back.

Nash continued, "You know, I'm going to find a soapbox big enough that somebody listens, and fight for these animals because they don't have a voice of their own."

Meanwhile, Rhonda Neece's lawyer, Douglas Engleman, is appealing her conviction.

He opposes the rescue volunteers' argument, saying, "The system can work and the system does work...We don't need any tougher laws."

Officials at the Lycoming County SPCA say they respect the judge's decision in this case.

Certainly we will continue to keep you updated as the appeals process moves forward.