GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) - A Wyoming father and son who were charged with animal cruelty on their property have been acquitted.
David Love and his son, Trenton Love, were found not guilty Friday on 27 counts each of animal cruelty, The Gillette News Record reported.
They were accused of not providing proper food and water for 27 of their animals in June 2019 after authorities found a pile of dead animals on the property.
David Love testified he allows his cattle and horses to die of old age at the end of their rodeo careers out of love instead of taking them to a killing plant.
Love was working a job in Oklahoma when the animals were seized while his son handled daily operations at the Campbell County property, he said.
Veterinarian Kyle Innes determined the animals were not receiving adequate care. Innes did not conduct physical exams on any livestock, but noticed some of the animals were showing their spines while others were in ideal condition, authorities said.
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