FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Horse owners convicted of animal cruelty could face additional financial penalties under a bill advancing in the Kentucky legislature.
The measure would allow horse owners to be ordered to pay restitution for food, shelter and veterinary care costs while their abused horses are in temporary custody.
The Senate Agriculture Committee approved the bill on Tuesday. If it passes the Senate without any changes, it will go to Gov. Matt Bevin. The measure has passed the House.
The bill’s lead sponsor is House Speaker Pro Tem David Osborne.
It also would allow judges to more quickly terminate ownership rights to abused horses.
Recent horse abuse cases in Kentucky have included the discovery of dozens of horses that were abandoned on a Mercer County farm.