first published in the January 2023 Equiery

Jennifer Katherine Hurry of Mechanicsville was sentenced on November 30, 2022 on 20 counts of animal cruelty.

After receiving several complaints about animals on her property since 2018, the St. Mary’s County sheriff’s office and animal control officers obtained and executed a search warrant in January 2021. At that time, 19 horses, three cows, two goats and 12 fowl were recovered from “deplorable conditions,” according to court documents.

Hurry, who is 53, was charged on September 14, 2021 and was convicted on April 29, 2022. At that time, the state was able to obtain an order for the immediate forfeiture of all seized animals so adoptions could begin. The horses were moved to Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Lisbon.

Hurry was sentenced to jail for 540 days, plus an additional 1260 days that were suspended. She was also sentenced to five years of supervised probation with the requirement of 500 hours of community service, 100 hours must be completed each year at a minimum. Additionally, Hurry was ordered to pay $25,000 in restitution with a minimum of $5,000 to be paid each year. She is also not allowed to own any additional animals, not including the two dogs and six cats she currently owns.