Jennifer Katherine Hurry, 54, of Mechanicsville
UPDATE 5/3/2022: State’s Attorney Richard Fritz is pleased to announce that on April 29, 2022, Jennifer Katherine Hurry, 54, of Mechanicsville, was convicted of 20 counts of Animal Cruelty.
Hurry was indicted on these counts for acts of cruelty and neglect of 19 horses, 3 cows, 2 goats and 12 assorted fowl that were seized from her property on January 21, 2021.
Sentencing will be concluded after a pre-sentencing investigation, however, the State was able to obtain an order for the immediate forfeiture of all animals that were seized so adoption proceedings may begin.
Given the number of large agricultural animals to be transported and housed, Days End Farm Horse Rescue was contacted and agreed to facilitate the rescue, which is the largest in St. Mary’s County history.
9/29/2021: On January 5, 2021, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the St. Mary’s County Animal Control Supervisor regarding concerns for the neglect and maltreatment of numerous animals located on the property of 42202 Greenwells Hills Lane in Leonardtown.
Supervisor Wilson advised numerous horses, goats, cows, and fowl were located at the property, and seemed to be neglected and emaciated.
Animal Control had numerous complaints about the animals getting off the property and running loose. These complaints began in 2018 and continue into 2021. Pursuant to these other Animal Control Investigations it was determined that Jennifer Katherine Hurry, 53, of Mechanicsville, is the owner of the animals. Hurry claimed ownership of the animals in the past and has received numerous citations from animal control for not having them properly contained on the property. The property where the animals are kept were described as very secluded and cannot be seen from the road.
In efforts to view the animals, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Drone Unit and a Detective deployed the drone to observe/photograph the animals. Police observed approximately 17 to 20 horses in a very small paddock, which was estimated to be “far less than 1 acre”. Additionally, there was no grass and the entire ground was muddy and observed to be far too little space for the amount of animals.
Charging documents stated police observed most of the horses to be emaciated. Their hip bones and spines were clearly visible, even through their winter coat. All of the horses appeared very dirty with their coats appearing matted and disheveled.
One horse had a blanket covering it, the blanket was noted as filthy and appeared to have not been cleaned or replaced in a long time.
Numerous water bowls were observed, however, they all appeared empty and most were overturned.
Minimal hay was present and not nearly enough for the estimated 17+ horses.
Police contacted two local Veterinarians for guidance, and both expressed concerns for the animals living conditions, food, water, shelter, and overall health of the animals.
Based on the observations made and Veterinarians recommendations. A search and seizure warrant was obtained for the property to obtain all animals and to document their living conditions.
Upon completion of the search warrant. A total of 19 horses, 3 cows, 2 goats, and 12 assorted fowls were recovered.
While on the scene, officers observed the living conditions for all animals to be deplorable and not acceptable. The 19 horses had no access to grain, or any grass to graze on. Their paddock was a combination of feces and mud. They did not have adequate shelter; they had access to one dilapidated barn that provided no cover and was far too small for the number of horses. It was evidently based on the physical conditions of the horses they were not receiving proper Veterinary care. After seizure of the horses, they were examined by a Veterinarian which provided a detailed report indicating several of the horses were malnourished, several had infections from the mud, and several had parasites. All of this from improper care and lack of veterinarian access.
The 2 goats recovered from the scene were kept in a small horse trailer. This is presumed to keep then from escaping as they have in the past. All of the fencing for all of the animals were insufficient. These goats did not have access to food when they were seized from the trailer they were forced to live in. The trailer also did not provide sufficient shelter/housing for 2 goats. They were not free to roam and upon a veterinarian’s examination, both goats needed medical attention to their feet.
The 3 cows that were seized appeared malnourished and very thin. Upon examination all three were confirmed as malnourished and forced to live in deplorable conditions. The small paddock they were forced to live in was mostly mud and feces.
The 12 assorted fowls were forced to live in one small paddock, they did not have access to food or water. The shelter was inadequate by the St. Mary’s Code and Maryland State Code.
One of the deceased horses was taken for a necropsy, which revealed the horse died from starvation. As part of the necropsy, bone barrow was examined by the Michigan State University, which Ed indicated the deceased horse had a body fat percentage of 2.8%. The report given indicates the normal body fat percentage of a horse is 81.7%. This was a highlight of how drastically malnourished and underweight this deceased horse was. Two separate medical reports stated this horse died from starvation.
While police were serving the warrant Hurry responded and refused to provide a statement, however, she confirmed she was the owner/caretaker of all animals present.
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Th following video was posted on the Days End Farm Horse Rescue Facebook page.
Since its founding, Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) has gone from a small non-profit sheltering a few horses to a full-scale, well-respected national rescue and rehabilitation facility sheltering 110 to 150 horses annually. All horses come through animal protection agencies from across Maryland and surrounding states.
Jennifer Katherine Hurry, 54, of Mechanicsville
Jennifer Katherine Hurry, 54, of Mechanicsville
