New date for horse abuse trial

The Moscow woman charged with five counts of animal cruelty for allegedly failing to provide care for five horses in her possession requested and received a continuance for her Feb. 3 jury trial Tuesday, as she said she has not been able to find an attorney to represent her in the weeks that have passed since her Dec. 28 not guilty plea.

Teresa Davis, 51, will stand trial on the five charges on the amended date of March 24.

Davis also objected to the renewal of a restraining order preventing her from making contact from the animal rehabilitation specialists charged with caring for the five mares, saying she does not know who they are or where they live or work, and that she may accidentally violate the order while shopping in Moscow.

Judge William Hamlett said the no-contact order would be renewed and told Davis she had little need to worry about accidentally violating it.

The criminal complaints filed against Davis by Moscow City Prosecuting Attorney Erin Tomlin allege Davis failed to provide adequate care for the animals since Sept. 1.

"Teresa R. Davis ... did commit animal cruelty by negligently confining her Bay mare in unsanitary conditions and negligently failed to provide adequate sustenance and water," Tomlin wrote.

The same descriptions were repeated twice for two Sorrel mares.

The final two charges allege Davis confined two black mares in outdoor conditions with no access to shelter or adequate food or water.

All of the animals were held at Davis' Polk Extension property, with three being kept indoors and two in a pasture.

When Hamlett asked Tomlin about the horses' prognosis, she replied, "They're alive."

Tomlin said there has been some improvement since the animals were seen by the state veterinarian in December.

"It's a long process," she said.

Shanon Quinn can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to squinn@dnews.com.