Horse case beyond ridiculous
posted Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 @ 9:39 pm

Since late 2004, law enforcement officials in Concordia Parish and eventually, the animal enforcement division with the state Department of Agriculture, have been dealing with a Concordia Parish woman who either does not know how to properly care for the horses she owns or owned at one time or simply has no interest in caring for the animals in a proper fashion.

It's a simple case of either ignorance or apathy.

Debbie Palmer of Vidalia is the individual at the heart of the matter concerning the care she extends to or used to extend to horses she either currently owns or used to own.

Palmer, a nurse by trade, has been convicted in Seventh Judicial District Court on charges of animal cruelty, improper disposal of a carcass and horses at large, to name a few of the charges.

Palmer's convictions on the various charges stemming from her many appearances in district court has landed her on probation in lieu of a suspended jail sentence, fines and orders from the court to reduce the number of horses she owns. More recently, Palmer was ordered by Judge Leo Boothe not to own any horses at all, an order she apparently is ignoring, though she reportedly claims that a family member owns her horses today.

It's obvious to us that Palmer is ignoring the order issued by Boothe because there exist horses on property she leases or used to lease along the levee off Highway 84 near Vidalia.

It's also obvious that the horses housed there today are in a deplorable state of health, indicating that Palmer has done virtually nothing to care for the animals in spite of her many run-ins with the court over her inability or refusal to extend proper care to the animals.

As we said, it's a simple case of either ignorance or apathy.

In the past few days, an enforcement officer with the state Branding Commission, which falls under the Department of Agriculture, inspected Palmer's horses—or her family member's horses—that are housed along the levee property. The investigation into the condition of those horses is ongoing, according to an official with the Department of Agriculture.

Along the way, Concordia Parish Sheriff Randy Maxwell has refused to remove Palmer's horses from the levee property because, according to Maxwell, the sheriff's office's insurance coverage dictates that the sheriff's office cannot take possession of the animals.

That may be the case, but it's bunk.

The bottom line in that regard is Boothe has ordered Palmer not to possess any horses, and the sheriff has the authority to remove them.

He hasn't done it yet.

Therefore, the ball is in Maxwell's court, so to speak.

In defense of Maxwell, though, the sheriff now says he will remove the horses from the levee property if a location can be secured to house the animals so they can be cared for in a proper manner.

In the meantime, Lisa Smith, enforcement officer with Concordia Animal Welfare and Rescue, says she has a number of commitments from individuals who would take possession of Palmer's horses immediately and care for them to the best of their abilities.

That's encouraging.

Day in and day out we hear of cases throughout the country involving the abuse of animals, including horses.

The case involving Palmer takes the cake, though.

Palmer has no business owning or possessing any animals whatsoever in light of her apparent inability to properly care for the horses in question, which she either owns or once owned.

Furthermore, Palmer's apparent lack of respect for a district court judge's order not to possess animals points to her complete lack of respect for authority altogether.

That's the case or she has no respect for Boothe.

Take your pick.

To that end, if Palmer doesn't step aside and allow someone to care for the horses she owns or once owned, which literally are dying on her watch, she should be sent to jail immediately to give her some time to think about her actions.

And an innocent horse or two might live if Palmer went away for a spell.