Agency takes neglected animals

Jennifer Rosenthal, Farrier of the Hooved Animal Humane Society in Woodstock, Ill, holds excess hooves that were sawed off from donkeys that were seized from a farm in Capron, Ill. where the owners are accused of animal neglect. Because the hooves on some animals were so long, they were curling and growing sideways. (Eddie Quiñones photo)

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WOODSTOCK – Hunks of hooves from a donkey named Dixie littered the barn floor at the Hooved Animal Humane Society on Thursday.

Of more than 100 animals removed this week from a Capron farm, 25 came to HAHS, including donkeys such as Dixie with 6-inch hooves that curled sideways.

Workers had to use a hack saw to pare the hooves down.

Dixie’s fur was matted in patches where she had laid.

She had a sore about an inch in diameter on her side, and she limped with pain in every step.

To reach some animals in their stalls, rescuers used chairs to climb atop 5 feet of compacted manure and bedding, Geittmann said.

“It’s one of the worst I’ve seen,” said Executive Director Barbara Geittmann, who will go to a Boone County court today to fight for custody of the animals.  

“They’re needing medical care, they’re needing inoculation and deworming,” she said. “We’re hoping forfeiture will be immediate.”

Horses’ hooves usually are trimmed every six weeks, but it looks like it had been several years for the seized animals, Geittmann said.

Two donkeys, including Dixie, that rescuers originally thought would have to be euthanized likely will survive, but it will take time for them to be healthy again, Geittmann said.

“It’s all just major neglect,” Geittmann said. “When you have 120 animals, it’s hard to take care of them.”

HAHS, located in Woodstock, took in five donkeys, one pony-donkey cross, one stallion, seven mares, eight goats, two kids and one sheep.

The shelter typically houses between 30 to 40 animals, but has swelled to about 60 animals, Geittmann said.

Geittmann said it would take about a month before the animals were healthy enough for adoption.

The owners of the farm, Marie Slater, 72, and Colin Slater, 78, were charged with three counts of animal cruelty. Additional charges are possible, Boone County State’s Attorney Jim Hursh said.

Officials found the animals Monday after receiving several complaints from neighbors, Hursh said. Some animals still are on the property, but a veterinarian has been on site, Hursh said.

“This is the largest animal cruelty case we’ve ever seen,” Hursh said. “We are working with animal control to formulate a plan on what to do with the rest of the animals. We’re doing the best we can to care for them.”

Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.