Graham man charged with animal cruelty against 39 horses
Dec 13, 2012, 2:02 PM | Updated: 3:41 pm
Thirty-nine horses seized from a property in Graham, Wash., on Sept. 26 have been cared for at Frontier Park. Using money from an emergency fund, the Pierce County Auditor's Office has spent $62,000 nursing the animals back to health. (Photo: KIRO Radio/Brandi Kruse)
(Photo: KIRO Radio/Brandi Kruse)
Months after 39 horses were seized from his property near Graham, Wash., Dr. John Diller has been charged with animal cruelty in the case.
Prosecutors say the horses were abused and neglected.
On Sept. 25, an agent with the DEA served a federal search warrant on Diller’s property in an unrelated drug investigation. He then notified Pierce County authorities of the conditions he observed the horses being kept in.
“The stalls had excessive accumulations of feces and urine and it appeared that the horses were not allowed outside,” the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “Most of the horses were underweight, had poor muscle tone and their hooves were overgrown and cracked.”
Eight of the horses had to be euthanized, said Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist.
But Diller’s attorney, Lance Hester, said the horses were never abused.
“The horses are beyond a hobby. They are part of Dr. Diller’s life and family. He misses them and he wants them back,” he said.
Since the seizure, the horses have been cared for at Frontier Park in Graham. Using money from an emergency fund, the Pierce County Auditor’s Office has spent $62,000 nursing the animals back to health.
“Taxpayers really can’t afford this,” Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson told KIRO Radio in October. “A seizure of this size is not something that you budget for and it’s not something that you expect.”
However, the county has received $12,000 in public donations and $5,000 worth of in kind donations of equine supplies to aid in their efforts.
On Nov. 9, a District Court judge granted Diller, 69, the return of 11 horses. The judge ruled that Diller had adequately cleaned and repaired parts of his property after the seizure.
According to the auditor’s office, the remaining horses will need to find new homes. Nine of them are currently up for public adoption.
Diller will be arraigned on the animal cruelty charges on Dec. 27. Hester said his client plans to plead not guilty.
Those wishing to seek adoption or donate to a fund for the horses should visit PierceCountyWA.org, or send a check to the Pierce County Auditor’s Office at 2401 S. 35th St. #200, Tacoma, WA 98409.
