ANNUAL REPORT 2021 DIGITAL - Flipbook - Page 5
Preventing and prosecuting cruelty
Five Sheep Seized from Trunk of Vehicle
A routine traffic stop in Hunt County uncovered a severe case of animal cruelty and quickly turned into an unusual animal rescue.
On July 17, 2021, what started out as a routine stop for a minor traffic violation turned into a urgent animal rescue. When the Caddo Mills police officer approached the driver
of the Honda Civic, he heard motion and distress from the trunk. Upon investigation, the Officer discovered that five sheep had been hog tied and stuffed into the trunk area.
In the soaring Texas summer heat with no ventilation, the conditions were cruel and incompatible with sustaining life.
The officer immediately called for back-up assistance from
the SPCA of Texas’ Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit. Within
minutes they arrived on scene and Chief Investigator
Courtney Burns immediately began to asses the situation.
Burns determined that they had no means to keep the animals
from escaping into traffic once freed, so she gained access to
the trunk through the rear seat and began to pull each sheep
into the ventilated passenger section of the car to await
livestock transport.
“I was able to get the back seat moved forward. And as soon as
I did that, I just started pulling sheep out into the middle of the
car, just so they could get the A.C., and that’s when I found
that one of the sheep was unresponsive. It was just limp and
lethargic. And so I pulled her out of the car and tried to do
C.P.R. Unfortunately, the sheep did not make it,” Burns said.
Once stabilized, the remaining four sheep were transported to
the SPCA of Texas’ Equine and Livestock Center for care.
The driver was arrested at the scene on state felony charges of
cruelty and torture of livestock animals and booked into the
Hunt County Detention Center. In an investigative interview the
next day, the man revealed that he owned a trailer that
could have transported the sheep safely but that he simply
decided to tie them up and put them in his trunk despite
being advised not to do so by the seller of the sheep.
Thanks to the support of generous donors like you, we were
able to quickly respond to this case and bring the sheep to
safety. Soon after they were brought into our care, they were
adopted by a wonderful family.
