Barbara Pilchard, who was found guilty of 39 misdemeanors related to animal cruelty charges last month, appeared in Wicomico County Circuit Court today (May 13) for sentencing. She was sentenced to five years supervised probation and a $1,000 fine per each of the 13 horses the charges involved, which totaled $13,000. Pilchard was also sentenced to 90-days of jail time for each horse for a total of 18 months, however, all of that time was suspended as long as she remains within the parameters of her probation. She was ordered to not own, keep or have any animals during this probation period.
This case began on March 16, 2018 when more than 20 horses on her property were found dead and nearly 100 other horses were in poor to extremely poor conditions. The charges she was found guilty for involved only 13 of theses horses, four of which were euthanized on the scene and three others that were euthanized later. The other seven horses are recovering at other farms. She was facing a total of 56 counts of misdemeanor charges but was found guilty of 39. The guilty charges were 13 counts of animal cruelty, 13 counts of neglect/insufficient food and 13 counts of neglect/insufficient veterinary care.
To read more about this case, click on the links below:
Pilchard Guilt of 39 Misdemeanors, Not Guilty of Felony Charges (The Equiery/April 5, 2018)
Pilchard Case Update – Final Verdict Postponed (The Equiery/March 28, 2019)
Hebron Horse Owner Indicted for Animal Cruelty (The Equiery/June 12, 2018)
One Horse Left at Hebron Farm (The Equiery/April 13, 2018)
Update on Hebron Horses (The Equiery/March 20, 2018)
25+ Horses Found Dead in Wicomico Co. (The Equiery/March 17, 2018)
