On Wednesday, February 7, 2024, a Douglas woman was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after a horse was found on her property unable to walk with barbed wire around its back leg.
A report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office states that a deputy received a call that a horse was on a piece of property on Ben Carver Road lying on its side with barbed wire on its back leg. The owner was not at home at the time. The deputy found the horse lying on its side. The report says that the horse was weak and had been struggling to stand up. It did have barbed wire wrapped around one of its back legs, the report says.
Animal Control arrived and cut the barbed wire off the horse’s leg. The horse needed medical attention or it would not survive. The animal control officer contacted the Department of Agriculture and reported the incident to them.
While officers were on the scene, the horse’s owner, Terri Banks, 50, of Douglas, came home. She stated, according to the report, that she had been unable to care for the horse but loved it too much to give away. She said that she was working two jobs and could now provide for the horse.
Because of the horse’s condition, Banks was arrested and charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty. She was transported to the Coffee County Jail and released on a copy of the charges.
The horse survived through the night but around 9:25 a.m. on Thursday, February 8, 2024, the horse died as a result of the alleged neglect.
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