A Florence man that reportedly dragged his horse behind his vehicle and used a piece of pipe to beat the animal will face one charge of animal cruelty, according to the Pinal County Attorney’s office.
An officer witnessed Gordon Allen Bates drag the horse behind his truck with a strap used for towing vehicles at his Florence home on Aug. 4, a Pinal County Sheriff’s office report shows. His 13-year-old daughter also reportedly kicked the animal in the head while yelling at it to get up from the ground, according to the report.
Once rescued, the horse was treated for injuries including the removal of the tow strap that had been embedded in it’s neck as well as several scrapes and bruises from being dragged by the vehicle, the report shows.
Bates will face a judge on Dec. 10 with one charge of animal cruelty, a Class 6 Felony, according to county attorney spokesman Kostas Kalaitzdis. Gordon told officers he was beating the animal because it wouldn’t listen to orders, according to the report.
The animal was turned over to the Department of Agriculture following the incident.
Have that 8 yr. old from St. Johns put a bullet in the head of this father & his daughter.
This is sad indeed…………..I hope the newspaper will do a follow up and tell us if the horse is gonna get any justice here when this goes to court…….
The daughter should be charged just like the father, even at her age. Serial killers are usually found to have tortured or abused animals during their childhoods. Too bad these two lowlifes can’t spend YEARS in jail, and be fined THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars. Let’s hope the horse has been placed in a wonderful new home where he’ll be treated kindly.