Troy Woman Arrested for Animal Cruelty; Neighbors React

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By Jessica Gertler

Story Created: Jun 21, 2012 at 6:04 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 21, 2012 at 6:42 PM CDT

New information on a story that we broke last night on CBS 8 News at 10.  A Troy woman has been arrested on animal cruelty charges after police say she neglected to take care of several horses. Today, neighbors are speaking out about what they say they witnessed.

Police say Tanya Sessions turned herself in this morning on six misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty.  But neighbors say after everything they've witnessed, they believe her charges should be worse.

It's that love and attention Erin Jones says her neighbor Tonya Sessions never showed horses that were once on her property on Smart Road and County Road 2294.

"Every time we drove by, we wondered if that horse was dead, because there were a couple that were really bad," she says.

Troy Police say Sessions was charged with six counts of animal cruelty.

"Probably one of the first times I've ever seen anything like this," says Sgt. Benny Scarbrough with the Troy Police Department.

Police say a man left his three horses with Sessions to look after while he was overseas.

They say when the man returned, he discovered Sessions had allegedly neglected to take care of them.

Investigators say two of the horses were very malnourished. The third one, a roping horse in his prime, they say was found starved to death.

"It was under fed. It was just pure bones. The face. The skin. Everything was just bone. You could count every rib in it," says neighbor Patricia Hires.

"Real bad. Bony. You could see all the ribs. Their hip bones. They're really skinny," says neighbor Amanda Kilpatrick.

Police say a judge issued a court order to remove four other horses from Session's property. They've been taken to an undisclosed location. A vet has been asked to treat the horses, and it looks like all will recover.

Jones says while many questions will go unanswered.

"It upset everybody, because financially we know she was able to care for the horses," Jones says.

One thing she's sure of: "It requires a lot to take care of an animal like a horse, and if you're not willing to give them that care, you really shouldn't have one."

CBS 8 News did get a chance to talk with the owner. He doesn't want to go on camera or his identity released, but he is asking for your prayers and says to please give your pet a hug tonight.

Session's bond was set at $6,000. Police say she's already made bail.
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