Attorneys/Judges
| Prosecutor(s): | Robert Pellegrini | | Defense(s): | Peter Padula, Kevin Hayden | | Judge(s): | Paul Losapio |
Images for this Case
Horse owner charged
Milford, MA (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
County: Worcester
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Dismissed (Conditional)
Case Images: 3 files available
Person of Interest: Elliot S. Saffran
Case Updates: 15 update(s) available
Crippled by severe arthritis and weak legs, Quincy, a 29-year-old mare, frequently collapses in her barn at Over the Hill Farm.
Several veterinarians who have treated Quincy recommended she be destroyed to end her misery.
Because Quincy's owner, Elliot S. Saffran of Milford, has refused such advice and "willfully subjected the animal to suffer," he has been charged with animal cruelty.
Responding to a complaint from a farm employee, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visited Quincy last month and charged Saffran, 57, with one count of animal abuse.
According to court documents, an MSPCA officer found Quincy leaning against the stable wall to hold herself up. She was covered in bandages, one which protected a deep abrasion on her left hip.
Accompanied by Uxbridge Animal Control Officer Joyce Gareri, Officer Nadya Branca said the bay mare appeared to suffer from severe arthritis, a bad knee and a lack of strength. Horses can live 30 to 40 years.
Old Quincy is unsteady on her feet, thin and mentally unaware, doctors have said. Court documents say the mare has been hospitalized and kept in several barns over the past year.
According to court documents, proprietor Sandy Wedge said the horse falls at least three times a week.
On several occasions, Saffran used "rough methods" to get Quincy up, including throwing cold water in her face and pulling her aggressively. He also forced Quincy to walk around the property using a "crop," or whip, court documents said.
Saffran, of 26 Debbie Lane, has been accused of willfully permitting the animal to be subjected to unnecessary suffering, court documents said. His attorney, Peter Padula, filed a motion to dismiss the case at his Jan. 29 arraignment in Uxbridge District Court.
"The defendant states at all he times he has made arrangements with his own veterinarian and allowed the stable boarding his horse to deliver medical treatment to his horse as necessary," Padula wrote in the motion. "After discussions with his own veterinarian, the defendant has no reason to believe that the horse is suffering."
Saffran is due back for a pretrial conference March 11.
According to court records, Saffran inconsistently provides oral anti-inflammatory medication to Quincy's caretakers at Over the Hill Farm.
Due to Saffran's lack of cooperation, Wedge has asked him to remove Quincy from her property.
Yesterday, Uxbridge Police and MSPCA officials visited the horse at Over the Hill Farm, but declined comment.
It is unknown how long Quincy will remain at the Uxbridge farm.
Dr. Kris Koss, who treated Quincy, said the horse was "thin" and "arthritic."
"She shouldn't be in a regular stable," Koss wrote in a court document.
Koss and Dr. Joseph Merriam said Quincy needed to be killed immediately, court records said.
Wedge at Over the Hill farm declined to comment yesterday and attempts to reach Saffran were unsuccessful.
Peter Gollub, MSPCA director of law enforcement, also declined to elaborate on the case.
Case UpdatesThe trial of Elliot S. Saffran, the Milford man who refused to euthanize his 29-year-old horse, came to an end this morning when Mr. Saffran opted to admit to sufficient facts for a guilty finding on an animal cruelty charge.
Judge Thomas F. Sullivan Jr. continued the charge without a finding for two years, during which time the 58-year-old Mr. Saffran will be on probation.
As a condition of probation, Mr. Saffran was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service at an animal shelter or similar facility or make a $1,000 contribution to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or some other organization devoted to helping animals. The charge against him will be dismissed in two years if Mr. Saffran, who had no prior record, has no further difficulty with the law.
Mr. Saffran, of 26 Debbie Lane, Milford, was charged in January 2008 after the MSPCA alleged he had failed to properly care for his horse, Quincy. The horse died of natural causes last year in Connecticut, where she had been moved by court order from Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge.
Prosecutors charged that Mr. Saffran mistreated the ailing bay mare by refusing to euthanize her, neglecting to provide proper medical care and treatment to deal with the horse's arthritis and failing medical condition, and employing abusive methods to get the horse to rise and move, such as throwing cold water on the animal or pushing or pulling her aggressively.
Mr. Saffran's admission to sufficient facts came as his Central District Court jury trial was about to enter its second day.
The continuance without a finding was requested by Mr. Saffran's lawyer, Kevin R. Hayden. Assistant District Attorney Robert J. Pellegrini asked Judge Sullivan to find Mr. Saffran guilty, place him on probation for four years and order that he undergo a mental health evaluation and any related treatment deemed appropriate.
Mr. Saffran was facing a possible jail sentence of up to 2-1/2 years and a fine not to exceed $2,500.
"The biggest thing in his favor is he has not been in court before," Judge Sullivan said of his decision to continue the charge without a finding.
"By his refusal to even keep an open mind about euthanasia, let alone authorize it, it caused Quincy to suffer unnecessarily," Mr. Pellegrini said in support of his request for a guilty finding.
Mr. Hayden said in his opening statement to the jury that his client loved his horse too much to put her down. He told Judge Sullivan today that Mr. Saffran was previously of the belief that authorizing euthanasia would be "to inflict more cruelty and suffering" on the animal than allowing her to live.
"He sees that differently now," said Mr. Hayden, adding that Mr. Saffran was "remorseful for Quincy's suffering."
As another condition of probation, Mr. Saffran was prohibited from owning any animals or pets other than a dog he now owns. He also was ordered by the judge to have no contact with anyone listed as a potential prosecution witness in his case and to undergo any type of evaluation or treatment requested by his probation officer. | Source: telegram.com - Feb 6, 2009
Update posted on Feb 6, 2009 - 1:25PM |
Potential jurors in the trial of a Milford man who refused to euthanize his 29-year-old horse were asked yesterday whether they had strong feelings against putting down an animal and whether they have donated to the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The jury trial in the case against Elliot S. Saffran, 58, of 26 Debbie Lane, Milford, began yesterday morning in Central District Court. Testimony is expected to continue today.
About a dozen people showed up in court wearing purple ribbons or clothing, some with jackets and boots depicting horses.
Mr. Saffran was arrested in January 2008 on animal cruelty charges after the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals alleged that he had failed to provide proper care for his horse, Quincy.
The horse died of natural causes last year in Connecticut, where she had been moved by court order from Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge.
Prosecutors allege that Mr. Saffran mistreated the bay mare by refusing to have her euthanized. Despite the horse's death in August 2008, Mr. Saffron's case continued in the courts.
If convicted, Mr. Saffran could face up to 5 years in a state prison, up to 2-1/2 years in the Worcester County Jail and House of Correction in West Boylston, up to a $2,500 fine, or both a fine and imprisonment.
Judge Thomas F. Sullivan Jr. and lawyers narrowed the jury pool yesterday after potential jurors were asked a number of questions. Judge Sullivan asked potential jurors if they had ever owned a horse or worked at a stable. Several potential jurors were eliminated after they answered "yes" when the judge asked if any of them have worked for, volunteered for or contributed money to the MSPCA.
Four men and three women were picked for a jury. Six of them will decide the case. The seventh serves as an alternate.
Openings statements were given soon after.
Assistant District Attorney Robert J. Pellegrini said the 29-year-old horse was roughly equivalent to an 80- to 85-year-old human. He said Quincy suffered severe arthritis in her joints, but the arthritis was especially severe in her left knee.
"Witnesses could hear bone-on-bone grinding when Quincy would move," Mr. Pellegrini said in his opening remarks to the jury. He told the jury that Quincy's left leg bent grotesquely to the side. Mr. Pellegrini said the defendant prolonged unnecessary suffering and denied critical medical care.
"Humane euthanasia," Mr. Pellegrini said. "Mr. Saffran would not allow it."
In the defense's opening remarks, Mr. Saffran's lawyer, Kevin Hayden, said his client would not agree to euthanasia, "because he loved his horse so much he couldn't agree to kill her."
Lawyers told jurors that they could expect to hear testimony from a number of veterinarians, law enforcement officers, MSPCA officials, stable owners and lay people. Evidence will include photos and videotape of Quincy.
"Pay close attention to what is said, but how it's said," Mr. Hayden said. He asked jurors to ask themselves about the motives of all the witnesses.
"There is much more going on in this case than meets the eye," Mr. Hayden said. "There may not be entirely altruistic motives. Maybe - that's just maybe - there will be enough for you to find a not guilty."
Mr. Hayden said Mr. Saffran placed Quincy in appropriate facilities her whole life and provided medical care to his horse.
"Mr. Saffran believes killing Quincy would have been cruel." | Source: telegram.com - Feb 6, 2009
Update posted on Feb 6, 2009 - 12:04PM |
A jury trial is set to begin in Worcester Central District Court at 9 a.m. today against Elliott Saffran. The trial could last three to four days, said Tim Connolly, a spokesman for the district attorney's office. Assistant District Attorney Robert Pellegrini is prosecuting the case. Boston attorney Kevin Hayden is representing Saffran.
In January 2008, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charged Saffran with one count of animal cruelty against his horse, Quincy. Saffran, a Milford resident, denied harming the animal, saying his veterinarian said the horse was not suffering. Authorities who visited Quincy at Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge found the horse unsteady on her feet, thin and mentally unaware. Doctors said the 29-year-old mare had severe arthritis, a bad knee and lacked strength.
In court, Saffran has continued to deny treating Quincy with cruelty. Prosecutors say Saffran should have opted to euthanize the horse to end her suffering. In March, Quincy was transferred to Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn. She died there in August. Saffran's lawyer has tried to exclude evidence from the case, including the MSPCA's search and medical records. A judge ruled that a video taken of the horse while she was in Connecticut will be initially shown outside the presence of a jury. | Source: Milford Daily News - Feb 5, 2009
Update posted on Feb 5, 2009 - 5:01PM |
Elliot Saffran, the Milford, Mass., man accused of animal cruelty for refusing to euthanize his mare, appeared in Uxbridge District Court on Oct. 14 and requested that his case be transferred to another court for trial before a jury.
"He will appear in Worcester Central District Court on Dec. 4 when a judge will set a trial date," said Tim Connolly, spokesman for the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.
Saffran was charged with animal cruelty last January after he refused to act on veterinarians' advice to euthanize the then 29-year-old mare, which suffered from myriad ailments including crippling arthritis. Instead, Saffran agreed to relocate the horse to Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn., in April. Quincy died from natural causes on Aug. 10.
Afterward, attorney Kevin Hayden unsuccessfully sought the case's dismissal on grounds that charges against Saffran should have been dropped when he agreed to move Quincy to an equine hospital.
Hayden was unavailable to comment on the case.
The change of venue to Worcester Central District Court became necessary when Saffran opted for a jury trial, as Uxbridge District Court does not conduct jury trials, according to Connolly. | Source: The Horse Magazine - Oct 14, 2008
Update posted on Oct 16, 2008 - 4:24PM |
Prosecutors will proceed with evidence against a Milford man accused of abusing his ailing horse, Quincy, as a judge has denied motions to suppress evidence and dismiss an animal cruelty charge, documents show.
Elliot S. Saffran, 57, has been charged with animal cruelty after refusing several veterinarians' advice to euthanize the old, frail horse. He has denied harming the animal, saying his veterinarian said the horse was not suffering.
The horse has since died.
His lawyer, Kevin Hayden, sought to ban evidence, including photos and radiography taken from Quincy while she was boarded at Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge. In an affidavit filed in Uxbridge District Court, Saffran said he never allowed, consented to or gave permission to Uxbridge Police or the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to enter Quincy's stable.
MSPCA Officer Nadya Branca and Uxbridge Animal Control Officer Joyce Gareri visited Quincy at the Johnson Road farm twice in January. In his motions, Hayden called both searches "warrantless."
Quincy, a 29-year-old bay mare, had severe arthritis, a bad knee and lacked strength, doctors said. The horse was reported to be unsteady on her feet, thin and mentally unaware.
In March, the horse was transferred to Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn., where she died last month.
At an Aug. 12 hearing, Judge Paul Losapio listened to arguments regarding the MSPCA's visits to Over the Hill Farm.
Prosecutors opposed Hayden's motion to suppress the evidence, calling Branca's visit to the farm "lawful."
"There was no search ... there were no seizures," Assistant District Attorney Robert Pellegrini wrote in his opposition.
Branca testified in court her reasoning for waiting to obtain a search warrant.
"There was a possibility of adding additional charges," she explained, calling the search warrant a last resort. Branca said she hoped to resolve the situation before obtaining the search warrant, but went ahead with the search when Saffran became uncooperative.
Pellegrini also indicated the stalls at Over the Hill Farm have no locks or "Do Not Trespass" signs.
The visits did not infringe on Saffran's "expectation of privacy," he said.
Citing a law which grants the MSPCA rights to visit any stable where horses are boarded for a fee, Pellegrini said owners at Over the Hill Farm could lose their license for "preventing, obstructing or interfering" with such an inspection.
"Saffran can have no expectation of privacy when he voluntarily disclosed Quincy to a third party," the motion continued.
Hayden also filed a motion to dismiss the animal cruelty charge, calling the law "unconstitutionally vague and overbroad."
Saffran was not aware that his alleged failure to provide medical treatment for Quincy, including his unwillingness to adopt others' opinions to euthanize the horse, was criminal conduct, Hayden wrote.
The notion was challenged by prosecutors.
"He intentionally and knowingly did acts which were plainly of a nature to inflict unnecessary pain and so were unnecessarily cruel," Pellegrini wrote.
Losapio rejected the motions on Aug. 19, court documents show.
Saffran also believed the charge would be dropped once he agreed to move Quincy to the Connecticut facility. The MSPCA disputes making such an agreement.
Saffran is scheduled back in court Tuesday, Sept. 9. | Source: Milford Daily News - Sept 2, 2008
Update posted on Sep 2, 2008 - 10:11PM |
With Quincy sympathizers packing his courtroom, Judge Paul Losapio heard testimony yesterday on whether to dismiss animal-cruelty charges against the horse's owner or suppress evidence in the case.
Defense attorney Kevin Hayden questioned why prosecutors did not drop the charge, since defendant Elliot S. Saffran of Milford moved Quincy to an equine hospital in Connecticut after making an agreement to that effect in March.
"For reasons unknown to me, it was never forthcoming," Hayden said.
Saffran, 57, has been charged with animal cruelty after refusing several veterinarians' advice to euthanize the old, frail horse. He has denied harming the animal, saying his veterinarian said the horse was not suffering.
Quincy, who died Sunday while being cared for at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn., had severe arthritis, a bad knee and lacked strength, doctors said. The horse was reported to be unsteady on her feet, thin and mentally unaware.
Hayden was denied a request for a continuance.
"In light of the fact my client's heart and mind is elsewhere right now with his horse's burial arrangements, I am asking you to consider continuing," Hayden said.
Losapio said Quincy's death does not change the animal-cruelty case.
Losapio heard testimony yesterday from Uxbridge Animal Control Officer Joyce Gareri and Nadya Branca, an officer with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"Regardless of whether he made the decision (to euthanize Quincy), he would be criminally charged," Branca said in court. "If he did decide, it would be known to the court."
Hayden questioned Branca's first visit, on Jan. 15, to Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge, where Saffran boarded the horse and where she and Gareri met Quincy. Since Saffran's name, address and phone number were posted outside the horse's stall, Hayden questioned why Branca did not call the owner before observing and photographing Quincy.
Branca said she did not apply for a search warrant until a month later because then "there was a possibility of adding additional charges."
She said she tried to resolve the situation before obtaining a search warrant, but went ahead with the search when Saffran became uncooperative.
"But why didn't you call him first?" Hayden asked again. "You got everyone's point of view before you attempted to reach Mr. Saffran."
In response to Assistant District Attorney Robert Pellegrini's questioning, Branca said the stalls at Over the Hill Farm don't have locks or "Do Not Trespass" signs.
Pellegrini said the January visit did not infringe on Saffran's "expectation of privacy."
Outside the courtroom, one of the people who thought Quincy should have been euthanized, Cindy Mickle, said she agreed with Pellegrini's argument.
"If (Saffran) wanted privacy, he should've had a barn in his backyard," she said, explaining how state officials annually inspect her barn in Brewster without notice.
During the search, Branca obtained blood samples and photographs of Quincy.
Pellegrini said if the judge allows the suppression of that and other evidence, he still has enough witnesses to continue with a trial.
More than a dozen Quincy sympathizers spent nearly six hours yesterday listening to testimony in the case.
Each wore purple ribbons in honor of the 29-year-old bay mare.
A group of teenage girls, who call themselves "The Lemonade Girls" for selling cold drinks and donating proceeds to equine rescue groups, took a nearly two-hour trip from the Merrimack Valley to attend the hearing.
"We want to understand why this person would do this to an animal," said Cara Shaw, a 16-year-old from Groveland.
Mary Martin, a member of New England Equine Rescues, said Saffran should have done the "right thing."
"It seems obvious that she was in pain," said Martin, a Groveland resident. "It's a hard decision to make, but it's so blatantly obvious."
After yesterday's hearing, MSPCA Law Enforcement Director Peter Gollub declined to comment on the agency's authority to search premises. He cited a law that grants the MSPCA rights to visit any stable where horses are boarded for a fee.
A video taken of Quincy at the Connecticut hospital in June is another piece of evidence Hayden wishes to suppress. Branca took the video without Saffran's permission, Hayden said.
Saffran has filed a lawsuit against Fairfield Equine Association, citing medical malpractice, defamation and infliction of emotional distress, after doctors there pushed to euthanize Quincy, said Catherine Nietzel, a lawyer representing the hospital.
Nietzel said Saffran owes the equine hospital about $30,000.
Days before Quincy's death, a Connecticut judge issued a temporary restraining order against the doctors at Fairfield Equine Associates, according to court records provided by Nietzel.
"I do not believe Saffran can be criminally prosecuted for failing to take action ... which some people may or may not think is appropriate," Hayden said yesterday, adding Saffran never intentionally harmed the horse. "A court in Connecticut agreed Quincy should not be euthanized."
Gollub said the case should continue.
"I don't think the wrongfulness of a defendant's actions get buried along with the horse," Gollub said.
Losapio said he will decide on both the motion to dismiss and the motion to suppress evidence in a couple weeks. Saffran is expected back in court Sept. 9. | Source: Milford Daily News - Aug 13, 2008
Update posted on Aug 13, 2008 - 10:54PM |
Quincy, the aged mare at the center of a Massachusetts cruelty case, died Aug. 10, just two days before her owner is to appear in a Massachusetts court to face animal cruelty charges.
"She's gone, but we want the case against her owner to go forward," said Jane Belleville, owner of a barn where Quincy was formerly boarded.
Massachusetts animal welfare authorities charged owner Elliott Saffran with animal cruelty last January when, despite advice from veterinarians, he refused to allow the mare to be euthanized. Quincy suffered from myriad ailments including crippling arthritis. In April, Saffran agreed to transfer the horse to an equine hospital. She remained under veterinary care until her death.
Catherine Nietzel, attorney for Fairfield Equine Associates in Connecticut confirmed that Quincy died Aug. 10. She said Saffran took possession of the mare's cadaver.
On Monday, Tim Connolly, spokesman for the Worcester County District Attorney's Office, confirmed that Saffran is slated to appear in Uxbridge District Court on Aug. 12, at which time he is expected to file a motion to suppress evidence in the case. No further information was available.
According to Diane Sullivan, professor of law at the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, Mass., and architect of the school's animal welfare law curriculum, Quincy's death should not affect the case's progress.
"There is no requirement that the animal be alive to move forward with the cruelty charges," Sullivan said.
Belleville said she and other animal welfare advocates plan to attend the Aug. 12 hearing. | Source: The Horse Magazine - Aug 11, 2008
Update posted on Aug 11, 2008 - 6:01PM |
| Quincy the horse died yesterday. The court case for Elliot Saffran is set to begin tomorrow at 9AM at Uxbridge District Court. | | Update posted on Aug 11, 2008 - 5:14PM |
Despite requests from the defense for more information about a horse owner's alleged offenses, the judge in the animal cruelty case said yesterday that the case should move along.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in January charged Elliot S. Saffran with animal cruelty for willfully subjecting his horse, 29-year-old Quincy, to suffering.
Judge Paul Losapio denied the motion from Peter Padula, Saffran's attorney, for a bill of particulars.
All evidence must be produced by June 3, Losapio ordered in Uxbridge District Court yesterday. The court set a date of June 24 for election, when the defense will decide how it wants to proceed, with such possibilities as a jury trial and a bench trial.
"Let's end this one way or another," Losapio said. "This goes back to January."
Padula said earlier that he wanted more specifics about the charge, such as place and time of alleged offenses.
"I don't know what I'm defending against," Padula said.
Padula cited the allegation that Saffran threw water in Quincy's face to get her up.
"When did it happen?" Padula said. "Who was there?"
The prosecution has provided numerous materials, including Tufts University medical records and a witness list, said Assistant District Attorney Robert Pellegrini.
"I think we've gone above and beyond in this case," Pellegrini said.
Losapio allowed Pellegrini's motion to mail a summons for medical records of the horse by an out-of-state provider.
At the request of Saffran about one month ago, the MSPCA took the horse to the hospital, but officials have not given the location.
Padula said he was opposed to the summons. Padula had not reviewed the motion, as it was filed yesterday, he said.
"All it's asking to do is have a doctor send a copy of the report about the condition of the horse," Losapio said.
Padula said he does not know if that report contains confidential data.
"There may be a confidentiality issue regarding the doctor and the patient - the horse," Padula said, as the crowd murmured.
As he left the courthouse, Padula said he had no comment.
Authorities say Saffran has refused to euthanize the horse, despite the urging of several veterinarians. Saffran has said his own veterinarian says the horse is not suffering.
Quincy has severe arthritis and weak legs, according to court documents.
Before the hearing, Saffran said caretakers of the horse have made false allegations against him.
Jodie-May Rose, the horse's caretaker about a year ago, did not feed Quincy, Saffran said.
Rose said that comment is untrue.
"He knows that's not true," Rose said. "The vet told him what needed to be done. He refused veterinary advice when she was with me. I did everything in my power that I could to help her without overstepping my bounds."
Saffran, of Debbie Lane, Milford, said he had Quincy moved to the Tufts University Veterinary School for treatment about a year ago, where he said she recovered.
"There is absolutely no way that horse has recovered," Rose said outside the courthouse. "I told him if he listened to the (veterinarian), she would be doing 100 times better. He denied it. She went downhill."
Sandy Wedge, the proprietor of Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge, where Quincy was kept until being taken to the hospital, also fed the mare improperly, Saffran said.
"Quincy continued to get progressively worse," said Saffran, 57.
Wedge was not at the hearing yesterday. However, a group of people who say the horse should be euthanized humanely, again made it to the courthouse.
"The judge really wants to expedite this," Rose said.
Rose added that she was upset that the condition of the horse did not come up.
Quincy has done as well as can be expected, said Peter Gollub, director of law enforcement for the MSPCA. Gollub said he could not comment specifically on her condition.
Gollub said he was not surprised at the scheduling of another court date.
"I was a little surprised that the defense counsel seemed a bit taken aback that materials were produced to him, when they were produced in part as a result of his request," Gollub said.
If there are any other motions concerning evidence, they must be made before June 24, Losapio said.
"(It has been) six months," Losapio said. "You'd think we'd be able to get this accomplished." | Source: Milford Daily News - May 7, 2008
Update posted on May 7, 2008 - 3:06PM |
An elderly, arthritic mare in Massachusetts has become the subject of a virtual tug-of-war between the social networking site MySpace.com and a supporter of the horse.
A MySpace page devoted to the mare Quincy was taken down, put back up and taken down again, said Kendra Olson, its creator. Olson said MySpace gave her no explanation, reported WCVB-TV in Boston.
Olson has been leading an effort urging Quincy's owner, Elliot S. Saffran of Milford, Mass., to euthanize her and end her suffering.
In the six days it had been up, the page, which contained video of the 29-year-old mare struggling to walk, had received 3,256 views from people worldwide, dozens of whom left messages for Saffran to euthanize her.
After MySpace removed the page Friday, Olson put it back up again.
But by late afternoon, she received a message from MySpace warning that it was going to remove the page again.
"I'm not going to stop," Olson told the Boston Herald. "We're not vigilantes. We just want this horse, who has no voice, to be allowed to pass with some dignity and respect."
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visited Quincy in January and charged Saffran, 57, for "willfully subjecting the animal to suffer." He was charged with one count of animal cruelty.
However, Saffran, 57, told the Milford Daily News that the horse is not suffering.
"And we have veterinary reports that say it's not suffering," Saffran said, adding that he expects a jury trial. | Source: KCRA - April 12, 2008
Update posted on Apr 14, 2008 - 2:35PM |
An equine right-to-die struggle over an elderly, arthritic horse is being fought on the Internet and in court, where the old bay mare's owner is facing cruelty charges.
The case for euthanasia for Quincy, a 29-year-old bay mare who is plagued with sores and can barely stand, is being championed by animal-welfare advocates, who have given the horse her own MySpace [website] page detailing her plight.
"She's taken a group of divergent people and managed to galvanize them," said Jane Belleville, a Mendon horse trainer who boarded Quincy nine years ago. "No animal should suffer like this animal is suffering."
But Quincy's owner, Elliot S. Saffran, 57, of Milford, refuses to have the old horse put down. Saffran is due in Uxbridge District Court May 6 to answer one count of animal cruelty. He could face up to five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. Neither he nor his attorney returned calls seeking comment.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was called on Jan. 15 to an Uxbridge farm where Saffran had been boarding Quincy since October 2007. The MSPCA officer said he found Quincy unsteady on her feet, her front left knee swollen and crossed in front of her right front leg. An employee at the farm told the officer the horse collapsed at least three times a week and was unable to get up. The MSPCA took custody of the horse, which is being kept at an undisclosed animal hospital.
In a report he later filed, the officer said he spoke to three different veterinarians who had examined Quincy, and all three believed that the horse was suffering unnecessarily and should be euthanized. One said that another option might be a "hospice-type environment" where Quincy would receive 24-hour supervision, but the veterinarian did not know of such a facility.
A Tufts University veterinarian found Quincy to be "mentally unaware, anemic" with "muscle atrophy, some neurological dysfunction, abnormal joints, poor teeth and significant pain due to arthritis." That vet said she "would have been comfortable euthanizing her at that point."
Jodie-May Rose, who boarded Quincy at her Uxbridge barn from October 2006 to September 2007, said even then, the horse used the stall walls to support herself. Saffran would continue to exercise her vigorously, she said.
"He just thought she was being stubborn," she said. "He would say, 'She'll walk it off.' But you can't walk off a deformed limb."
Peter Gollub, the MSPCA's director of law enforcement, said the MSPCA could have sought a court order to euthanize Quincy, but didn't want a more protracted legal battle, and is awaiting resolution of the cruelty charge.
"In this case, we've been working to arrive at a solution that's in the horse's best interests," Gollub said. "We've heard some frustrations voiced about the pace of things. It's frustrating for us, too." | Source: Boston Herald - April 11, 2008
Update posted on Apr 11, 2008 - 11:27AM |
The controversial Massachusetts animal cruelty case involving a geriatric mare that some animal welfare advocates maintain should be euthanized was continued to May 6 during a pre-trial hearing today in Uxbridge District Court.
"We're pressing forward with the case," said Tim Connolly, spokesman for the Worcester County District Attorney's Office. "All that happened in court today had to do with compliance and election."
Connolly explained that attorneys on both sides were ordered to share information pertinent to the case, and that the horse's owner Elliot Saffran of Milford, Mass., must decide whether he wants a jury or a bench trial if the case does, in fact, go to trial.
Richard LeBlond, deputy chief of law enforcement with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), said yesterday that the charges against Saffran could have been dropped if he agreed to euthanize Quincy, a 29-year-old mare.
According to LeBlond, the deal was designed to prevent the horse's continued suffering while the case wound its way through the court system.
Neither LeBlond nor Connolly would comment on the deal today, nor state whether it was offered during the hearing.
Saffron was charged with animal cruelty for "willfully allowing an animal to suffer" last January when an employee at the facility where Quincy was boarded complained to the MSPCA that the horse was frail, unsteady on her feet, and suffered from deep abrasions. | Source: The Horse Magazine - April 8, 2008
Update posted on Apr 9, 2008 - 10:09AM |
A controversial Massachusetts horse cruelty case might be resolved in court April 8 if the horse's owner agrees to euthanize the mare in question.
According to Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (MSPCA) Deputy Chief Law Enforcement Officer Richard LeBlond, felony animal cruelty charges against horse owner Elliot Saffran, will be dropped in a pre-trial hearing in Uxbridge District Court if Saffran agrees to euthanize Quincy, a 29-year old mare suffering from a myriad of ailments. Veterinarians from the unnamed equine clinic currently treating the horse will testify whether euthanasia is appropriate in the case, LeBlond said.
Saffran was charged with animal cruelty last January after MSPCA investigators found the horse suffering from a knee injury and unable to stand due to arthritis.
The case garnered widespread attention when animal welfare advocates accused MSPCA of prolonging the horse's suffering when the group declined to exercise its legal right under Massachusetts law to euthanize the geriatric horse.
However, LeBlond said the MSPCA chose not to exercise that option because veterinarians who had previously treated Quincy disagreed on her condition.
"We believe the best thing is to put her down," he said. "But we've had conflicting vet reports (suggesting that) under medication she's alert, eating, and drinking."
Also, he said, MSPCA would need a court order or be awarded legal custody of the animal in order to euthanize her. The legal process could invite a protracted series of lengthy appeals by Quincy's owner, he said.
"That wouldn't have been in the best interest of the horse," LeBlond said.
Attorney Diane Sullivan, professor of law at the Massachusetts School of Law in Andover, Mass., and architect of the school's animal welfare law curriculum, said Massachusetts' animal cruelty laws do not specifically recognize failure to euthanize sick or injured animals as cruelty. | Source: The Horse Magazine - April 7, 2008
Update posted on Apr 8, 2008 - 8:38AM |
Milford man facing an animal cruelty charge enlisted the assistance of the state humane society yesterday to help care for his ailing horse, Quincy.
At the request of Elliot S. Saffran, 57, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals transported his 29-year-old mare to a hospital in an equine ambulance yesterday, said spokesman Brian Adams.
Saffran's action could lead the MSPCA to drop the cruelty charge.
"Throughout this investigation, there has never been a closed door," he said. "Anything is up for consideration."
For now, the MSPCA is "still looking out for the safety of the horse," Adams said.
The MSPCA charged Saffran with animal cruelty in January for "willfully subjecting the animal to suffer."
Authorities say Saffran has refused to euthanize the horse, despite the urging of several veterinarians and caretakers. He has said his own veterinarian says the horse is not suffering.
In a stable at Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge, where Saffran boards her, Quincy is crippled by severe arthritis and weak legs, unsteady on her feet, thin and mentally unaware, according to Uxbridge Animal Control Officer Joyce Gareri and doctors referred to in court documents.
Adams said the equine ambulance safely carried Quincy to a private facility where she received an examination and proper care. He would not specify where Quincy is being treated.
It is unknown if Saffran or the MSPCA paid for the hospital fees.
Adams said the ambulance program operates without a fee, but the society requests donations for its use.
Saffran could not be reached for comment at his Debbie Lane home yesterday.
Over the Hill Farm proprietor Sandy Wedge had little to say yesterday.
"I wish the animal the best," she said. "I hope she's comfortable."
Jane Belleville, who kept Quincy in her barn at Whispering Belles Farm on Millville Road in Mendon about nine years ago, was upset yesterday morning after learning Quincy had been picked up by the MSPCA.
"The people who have taken care of her over the years (should) be with her so that she knows some inkling of love," said an emotional Belleville. "This horse deserves a better ending."
Adams maintains the MSPCA's equine ambulance is safe, but Belleville worried about moving Quincy.
"Why bother putting the horse through pain and being transported on that bad leg?" Belleville asked. "That's cruel and abusive."
Saffran is scheduled to appear in Uxbridge District Court Tuesday for another pretrial conference.
In court last month, MSPCA Director of Law Enforcement Peter Gollub said Saffran's failure to euthanize the horse is cruel and "causing it to suffer unnecessarily."
Gollub said the department was trying to work out a quick resolution but lacked the sole authority to remove the horse from the farm.
Although court documents said Saffran inconsistently provides oral anti-inflammatory medication to Quincy's caretakers, Saffran said he provides his horse with proper care.
"The horse has always had pain medications, supplied for by me and paid for by me," he has said. "The horse will be cared for and that's it."
Belleville disagrees.
"The people who have donated time, energy, bandages - this is their horse, it's not Elliot Saffran's," she said. "They're the ones who have a vested interest in this horse." | Source: Milford Daily News - April 1, 2008
Update posted on Apr 4, 2008 - 1:07PM |
When Andrea Carman was 17 she bought her first horse: a 3-year-old, "high-quality, well-bred mare" named Quincy.
Quincy, born from a champion of the prestigious American Quarter Horse Association, was healthy and carefree during her 11 years in Carman's care.
When Carman learned the mare - now 29 years old - was suffering from crippling arthritis and potential abuse, she said it was her "worst nightmare."
"It's horribly upsetting to know what this kind mare has gone through," said Carman, who shows and breeds horses from her family farm in Shirley. "This is my worst nightmare."
Quincy's current owner, Elliot S. Saffran of Milford, has been charged with animal cruelty for "willfully subjecting the animal to suffer."
Authorities say Saffran has refused to euthanize the horse, despite the urging of several veterinarians and caretakers.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals brought the charge against Saffran, 57, after visiting Quincy at Over the Hill Farm in Uxbridge earlier this year.
Saffran boards Quincy at the Over the Hill Farm.
An MSPCA officer found Quincy leaning against the stable wall to hold herself up. She was covered in bandages, one which protected a deep abrasion on her left hip, court documents said.
The bay mare appeared to suffer from severe arthritis, a bad knee and lack of strength. Old Quincy is unsteady on her feet, thin and mentally unaware, doctors have said.
Carman, who lives in Shirley, said she hasn't seen Quincy since she sold the horse in 1993.
"I can't handle seeing her," Carman said. "I'd be haunted by seeing her."
Jane Belleville, who kept Quincy in her barn at Whispering Belles Farm on Millville Road in Mendon about nine years ago, visited Quincy at the Over the Hill Farm on Johnson Road yesterday.
She described the mare's front left leg as "totally deformed."
"Arthritis in her knee has caused the lower leg bones to jut in at a 30 degree angle ... to the point that her hoof cannot be trimmed flat anymore, it has to be at an angle," Belleville said.
Belleville is one of many advocates who have rallied around Quincy, hoping to put an end to her misery.
"We're trying to make Quincy a poster child for animal abuse," she said. "This horse deserves better than what's she being given."
According to court documents, Saffran inconsistently provides oral anti-inflammatory medication to Quincy's caretakers.
On several occasions, Saffran used "rough methods" to get Quincy up, including throwing cold water in her face and pulling her aggressively. He also forced Quincy to walk around the property using a "crop," or whip, court documents said.
Carman, who frequently breeds and sells show horses, defined this as a worst case scenario.
"Unfortunately if a horse ends up in the wrong person's hands, it could be a death sentence," Carman said.
Over the Hill Farm proprietor Sandy Wedge could not elaborate on Quincy's condition yesterday, but voiced frustration over the drawn out legal process.
"The MSPCA lacks (enough) jurisdiction. Their hands are tied," Wedge said. "Humans needs to be the voice for animals."
"They can't step in to do what's right for the animal, and that's sad because if it was a case of child abuse, they would remove the child from the home while investigation was ongoing," Wedge added.
Saffran, who has owned Quincy for about 15 years, retains ownership of the horse.
He appeared in Uxbridge District Court yesterday and the case was continued because his attorney broke his leg. A pretrial conference is scheduled for March 18.
Saffran could not be reached for comment yesterday and officials at the MSPCA declined to comment.
A motion to dismiss filed by Saffran's lawyer, Peter Padula, on Jan. 29, though, states, "The defendant states at all times he has made arrangements with his own veterinarian and allowed the stable boarding his horse to deliver medical treatment to his horse as necessary. After discussions with his own veterinarian, the defendant has no reason to believe the horse is suffering."
In the meantime, Wedge cares for Quincy and does everything she can to keep her pain at bay.
"Quincy is safe here," said Wedge, who has cared for the horse for the past six months.
"It brings me comfort that someone is taking very good care of her in her last days," Carman said. "Now she's getting the care and love she knew the first half of her life." | Source: Wicked Local - March 12, 2008
Update posted on Mar 12, 2008 - 2:00PM |
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