DA: Hudson Valley Woman, Former Cop Killed 9 Horses

A 20-count indictment accuses a Hudson Valley woman, a former cop, of animal cruelty in connection with the death of 9 horses.

On Monday in Orange County Court, a grand jury handed up an indictment charging Jeanne Ryan, 51, of Goshen with ten felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals in connection with the death of nine horses, and the mistreatment of a tenth horse, which survived.

Ryan, former New York City police officer, was also charged with ten misdemeanor counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.

On July 29, investigators from the Hudson Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with the help of police, executed a search warrant at the barn located at Ryan’s home in the Town of Goshen.

Inside the barn they discovered the severely decomposed remains of five horses, as well as a severely emaciated horse, officials say.

“Four of the barn's 18 stalls contained the decomposed bodies of horses who had presumably starved to death,” the Hudson Valley SPCA said in a press release. “In one, an eight-week old foal lay collapsed beside its mother in a nursing position. In another, an emaciated stallion, still very much alive, stood over the remains of his deceased friend. With no grain, hay or water on site, and without a way out of his locked stall, the stallion had been attempting to eat a wood window sill to survive. His hooves were overgrown, split and infected from exposure to the filthy floor. The remaining fourteen stalls were found to contain no animals but were filled with a foot or more of feces.”

The skeletons of six horses were found outside the barn, officials say.

“As a society we cannot tolerate the mistreatment of horses, and other companion animals, who cannot protect themselves,” District Attorney David Hoovler said. “My office will continue to work with the SPCA and our other partners in law enforcement to protect animals from neglect and abuse. When appropriate, we will ask the grand jury to consider felony charges.”

The investigation into the treatment of the horses at Ryan’s farm continues, officials say.

Spot a typo? Let us know.

• Hudson Valley Man Accused of Second Fatal Drunk Driving Accident
• Hundreds Displaced By Fire in Dutchess County
• Police: Hudson Valley Teens Stole 3 Motorcycles, Guns, Ammo
• DA: Hudson Valley Teacher Raped High School Student
• Young Mother Missing For Nearly 600 Days May Be in Hudson Valley

Here are this week's Top 5 news stories from the Hudson Valley