This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

On September 19, 2017, Dalton Christian and his family who live in the unincorporated community of Van Vleet, Mississippi, discovered that their ten horses and two donkeys were missing. They had wandered onto a neighboring property and been mowed down in a hail of bullets,. Seven horses and two donkeys died, and two horses were seriously wounded. Several mortally wounded horses had struggled to make it home to safety, including one who had been shot five times in the face and head. Tip-offs as to the suspects' identities and to the locations of weapons used in the crime have been provided to the District Attorney, yet no action has been taken to get justice for these horses. Call on him to take action now to rein in these horse killers!

This atrocity shocked even the most seasoned reporters, law enforcement and animal cruelty investigators. It was later discovered that a fallen tree took part of a fence down, letting the horses and donkeys wander into the path of a psychopaths. This crime is a crime of felony injury to “livestock” and may also involve conspiracy. A reward fund for this heinous crime quickly mounted to $10,000, but it requires action from the District Attorney.

On October 19, 2017, In Defense of Animals held a vigil at the Chickasaw County Courthouse, the county seat in Houston, MS, to keep the spotlight on the unsolved massacre of the herd. Although there are suspects in the case, tips given to law enforcement have not yet produced search warrants. In Defense of Animals has continued to work with the Christian family and law enforcement to get justice for the animals. 

It is time to let the District Attorney know the humane world is watching. It’s time to step up the pressure on the suspects and to delve into tips as to the location of the weapons used in this astounding crime.

What YOU Can Do

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.