Charge filed in horse starvation case

WISCONSIN RAPIDS - A Wood County prosecutor has filed a misdemeanor charge against a 57-year-old Babcock woman suspected of letting a horse starve to death. The charges come more than three months after the animal's death.

Belva M. Bowden is charged with intentionally mistreating an animal. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum sentence of nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine. Bowden's initial appearance on the charge is scheduled for Feb. 6. The criminal complaint was not immediately available Wednesday afternoon.

Wood County Humane Officer Nanci Olson filed a request for charges with the Wood County District Attorney's Office Oct. 12, according to reports received by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin through an open records request. Olson requested a felony charge of mistreatment of an animal causing death, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Bowden owned a horse named Roy, which a Babcock resident found on State 80 at 2:30 a.m. Sept. 26, according to the documents. The horse was retrieved by Bowden, who later voluntarily gave it to the Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation, based in Pittsville.

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The Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation worked out a treatment program for the horse, but Roy died on Oct. 2. Karen Bayerl, who co-directs the foundation with her husband, Scott, said when they found Roy was unable to stand, they knew they needed to call an emergency veterinarian to have the animal euthanized. Karen Bayerl held Roy's head in her lap and fed Roy a big bowl of feed — something she had not been able to do for the horse before, because its system wouldn't have handled it — while they waited for the vet.

Wood County Assistant District Attorney Michael Zell said last week that he hadn't filed charges sooner because the District Attorney's Office is understaffed and he hadn't had time to study the case.

You can contact reporter Karen Madden at 715-424-7308, karen.madden@gannettwisconsin.com or follow her on Twitter@KMadden715 .