Carnival workers face charges of animal neglect

Two alleged carnival workers were arrested May 19 and are facing two charges of animal neglect.

The two men were traveling from the state of Georgia to Chicago in a 1995 Ford pickup, which was pulling an enclosed trailer.

An Indiana state police trooper patrolling U.S. 41 in Sullivan County pulled over the two men for a routine inspection of the trailer and its contents, according to a release from the Indiana State Police Department.

The trailer contained two miniature horses, one male and one female, which were emaciated and in poor health.

Additionally, there wasn’t food, water or sufficient air flow through the trailer, according to the release.

The two men told police they were employees of Modern Midways Carnival.
However, Modern Midways denies any connection to the two men.

“Modern Midways, Inc. vigorously denies any responsibility surrounding the recent allegations of animal abuse,” said Kristen Dunn, the company’s attorney.

The two individuals have never been employed by Modern Midways, Dunn said.

“Modern Midways, Inc. is a carnival ride company and does not employ animal acts for our customers,” she said.

Modern Midways offered to rent space to the two men at a carnival without any knowledge of their identities, of the proposed use of miniature horses nor of the alleged condition of the miniature horses, Dunn said.

The company operates in multiple states, and Dunn said she believes the two men were likely vendors who hoped to rent floor space at a local carnival.

The Sullivan County Humane Society took the miniature horses to an animal hospital, where they were checked out and treated, said Jen Petty, shelter manager of the Humane Society of Sullivan County.

After receiving treatment the horses were taken to a temporary foster home, which is monitored by the Humane Society. The foster homes are an extension of the Humane Society.

“It’s an individual in the community who provides temporary homes for our shelter animals to help alleviate some of the overcrowding in shelters,” Petty said.
A woman with a lot of horse experience supervises the two horses’ particular foster home, Petty said.

Both horses are in poor condition but are being medically treated and properly nourished.

“We’re feeding them, providing them with water and making sure nutritionally they’re back on track,” Petty said. “We have to get the horses back to a good weight and physical appearance.”

Despite their poor health, Petty said she believes the horses can return to a healthy condition.

“They should be able to be rehabilitated,” she said. “It shouldn’t be a life-long detriment.”

The two men are facing Class A misdemeanor charges that are punishable up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $5,000, Indiana State Police Sgt. Joe Watts said.
The Sullivan County Court system will determine whether the two horses are released back to the two men or released to a new owner.

The criminal charges against the two men are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless or until they’re proven guilty, Watts said.