Iowa farm owner pleads guilty to livestock neglect, has 50 horses seized by authorities
A Dallas County horse farm owner with a history of animal neglect allegations has been barred from owning horses for the next two years.
Linda Kilbourne, 78, of Johnston, owns the River Bend Ranch in rural Granger, from which authorities removed 46 animals in November. She was charged with more than 40 counts of livestock neglect that month.
Authorities filed another count against Kilbourne in January related to one of those animals, a horse with an untended wound to its neck that left its jugular vein and spinal column exposed.
The new charges followed a previous case that saw Kilbourne in 2020 plead guilty to five counts of failure to dispose of a dead animal. That case was filed after a state inspector over several visits to Kilbourne's property reported finding four dead horses and the bones of "multiple, likely dozens" of horses.
Des Moines Register Watchdog columnist Lee Rood received additional complaints in 2022 from an employee of Kilbourne who alleged the animals weren't getting enough food or vet care, resulting in at least 17 dying over the course of three years. The charges filed after the animals' November seizure back up those complaints, as investigators reported the animals were underfed and had untreated wounds and that water troughs on the property were damaged and inadequate.
Now Kilbourne has reached a deal to resolve the latest cases. On March 25, she pleaded guilty to the charge involving the horse with the injured neck. On March 28, she received a suspended jail sentence in a deal that saw the remaining charges dismissed.
Under the order, entered by Associate Judge Virginia Cobb, Kilbourne must complete two years of probation and pay a $430 fine on top of other expenses and surcharges. The order specifically notes that for the duration of her probation, Kilbourne "shall not own, care for, maintain possession of, or otherwise control any equine livestock."
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Kilbourne's attorney did not respond to a message seeking comment.
The horses taken in November were placed in the care of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. A spokesperson for the ARL said many of the horses have recovered and gone on to new homes, while others are currently available for adoption or still are receiving medical treatment at the organization's Second Chance Ranch in Des Moines.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa horse ranch owner pleads guilty to livestock neglect
