FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- A man facing animal cruelty charges after several dead horses were found on a Fulton County property appeared before a judge on Wednesday.
Brandon Fulton, 35, was taken into custody Tuesday after police discovered four badly-decomposed horses and eight others emancipated on a 30-acre property near the intersection of Butner Road at Camp Creek Parkway.
In Fulton’s first court appearance Wednesday, animal control officers testified to what they saw.
“[We] found four dead horses in different states of decay,” said Timothy Poorman of Fulton County Animal Services. “One had been burned, one had appeared to be tethered to a tree and was decomposing.” (Watch video explaining what they found)
Poorman told the judge that the eight living horses were given body condition scores ranging from 2 and 5. A score of 1 means the horse is completely emaciated.
Fulton's attorney suggested that some of the horses may belong to another horse owner on land behind the property.
“There seems to be some concern that there is some confusion about which are his horses and which aren't his horses,” the attorney said.
Code enforcement officers say they are clear of where Fulton's property starts and stops.
Fulton's attorney offered a reason for the weak horses.
“He has also done rescue work to rescue horses that have been injured and he brings them back to work and trains them and takes them in the community for inner city children so that they can have access and learn about horses.
Another problem brought up in court: the issue of whether or not Fulton even has legal rights to work on the property.
“In my investigation I found that Mr. Fulton doesn't even own the property,” said Fulton County Code Enforcement Officer Stanley Fletcher. “It has been reported to me that he is squatting. The property owner filed a police report and she has a superior court writ in place to get him removed from her property."
Fulton was granted a $75,000 bond.He was ordered to stay away from any animals until further notice. His next court appearance is schedule for August 3.
