Trending
LISBON -- State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-New Waterford, announced Wednesday that she introduced the Ohio Equestrian Protection Act to extend the protections created by Ohio's felony animal cruelty law to horses.
The move is in response to a still-pending animal cruelty case involving five horses whose remains were found at Pure Gold Stables in Salem Township last fall.
At the time of the indictment against the former operator of the stables, Heather Birkmire, Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino explained that she could only be charged with misdemeanors because the felony charge under Goddard's law only pertains to companion animals such as dogs or cats, not livestock.
According to the press release issued by Blasdel, the Ohio's animal cruelty protections would extend to "horses and other equines used in human interaction, including for sport, recreation, lessons, therapy and racing."
The Pure Gold case revealed the disparity in the laws regarding horses. In this case, the five horses were found dead in varying stages of decomposition, with necropsies confirming evidence of dehydration and starvation.
Birkmire is facing a pretrial at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 31 in Columbiana County Municipal Court. She's charged with five counts of cruelty to animals, a second-degree misdemeanor, and four counts of disposition of dead of destroyed animals violation, a fourth-degree misdemeanor. As part of her $5,000 recognizance bond, she's not allowed any contact with any livestock or companion animals.
According to Abruzzino, 570 days in the county jail is the maximum penalty Birkmire may face if convicted on all counts and if the terms for each count are ordered served consecutively.
The indictment alleged all the incidents related to the charges occurred from May 1, 2024 to Oct. 26, 2025, and for the cruelty charges, that Birkmire "did torture an animal, deprive one of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, needlessly mutilate or kill, or impound or confine an animal without supplying it during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good wholesome food and water."
The other charges dealt with how the bodies of the deceased horses were handled, with four of them found in a round pen in varying stages of decomposition, with some covered by blankets and others confined in stalls on Oct. 27, 2025.
House Bill 992 introduced by Blasdel would enact new Section 959.135 of the Ohio Revised Code, creating dedicated protections for equines used in human interaction.
According to the press release, the key provisions of the bill include:
-- A prohibition on knowingly torturing, tormenting, cruelly beating, poisoning, or committing acts of cruelty against an equine, with felony-level penalties for serious physical harm or repeated offenses;
-- A requirement that custodians and caretakers provide adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care, and safe transportation;
-- Court authority to forfeit equines from convicted offenders and restrict their ability to own or care for equines in the future; and
-- Rules established by the Director of Agriculture governing shelter standards, veterinary care, transportation, and seizure procedures.
"What happened in Columbiana County was horrific, and the fact that our current law could only charge it as a misdemeanor tells you everything about the gap we need to close," Blasdel said in the press release. "Horses that serve people - in therapy, in sport, in lessons - deserve the same protection under Ohio law that our companion animals have. This bill is about making sure that those who commit acts of cruelty against these animals face consequences that reflect the seriousness of what they've done."
Constituents who support the Ohio Equestrian Protection Act or have questions are encouraged to contact Blasdel's office at Rep79@ohiohouse.gov or (614) 466-8022.