April 2007

According to the Humane Society of Washington County, Barbara Reinken, the Sharpsburg woman who was charged with animal neglect last December, has requested a jury trial. Th is means that instead of going to trial in district court on March 19 as originally scheduled, her case will be transferred to the circuit court and a new trial date assigned.

Reinken was charged with 73 misdemeanor counts of abuse or neglect of animals and four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals on Dec. 22. The misdemeanor animal cruelty counts allege that she failed to provide for 72 horses and one cat at her farm in Sharpsburg. The four felony aggravated animal cruelty counts allege that Reinken failed to provide for four horses that died. In a Dec. 3 interview with the Associated Press, Reinken denied mistreating the horses but admitted that she might have had too many on her 33-acre spread.

The horses were seized and are being cared for by the Humane Society of Washington County and Days End Farm in Lisbon. For information about contributing to their upkeep and rehabilitation, please visit www.equiery. com.