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Bristol woman pleads guilty to 15 counts of animal cruelty; 20 horses surrendered

Published October 5th, 2007 | 0 Comments

A Bristol woman pleaded guilty to 15 counts of animal cruelty after an investigation into complaints about the condition of her horses.

Karen L. Harlan, 47, of 825 Wilson Avenue, Bristol, Tenn. entered guilty pleas Friday in Bristol, Tenn., court.

Harlan was arrested June 27 when Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Animal Control officers seized her horses after a joint investigation with Sullivan County Extension Agent Chris Ramsey tracked the horses' deteriorating conditions.

Eight concurrent sentences and seven consecutive sentences of 11 months and 29 days each have been suspended, Assistant District Attorney Teresa Murray Smith said, and Harlan will serve only 90 days in jail as part of a plea agreement.

Conditions of the deal require Harlan to surrender ownership of all of her livestock and forbid her from ever owning, caring for or habitually being around any more livestock or other domestic animal.

She will be allowed to keep any pets she has, Smith said, with the understanding that she can't have any additional pets.

To ensure that she's following these instructions, Harlan will be subjected to random inspections at appropriate times by animal control officers for the next seven years.

Five of the 15 horses Harlan is accused of mistreating, a bay and four chestnut-colored horses, were taken to Horse Haven of Tennessee's West Knoxville facility in June to begin an "aggressive rehabilitation," according to Phil Lane, a Sullivan County Animal Control Officer.

"It's gratifying to see the condition they're in now after they've received proper care," Smith said of the horses.

HHT members have also assisted B&H Stables owner Heather Smith with care of the remaining horses.

Smith said she was initially excited when Harlan agreed to board the horses at her start-up business. But when Harlan stopped coming by to feed and water them and stopped paying the bill, that's when she filed a complaint.

Read related articles:

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