Man charged with animal cruelty

Reward upped to $10,000 to find person who shot Lily with paintballs

A 65-year-old Rhode Island man has been charged with cruelty to animals in connection with transporting a lame horse to the New Holland, Lancaster County, Sales Stables for auction. The horse was later shot up with paintballs more than 130 times, and the person or persons who did it are still at large.

Phillip S. Price was charged with five summary citations for his mishandling of the 20-yearold Arabian horse that was later named Lily, according to Brett Hambright, a spokesman with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s office.

New Holland police Detective Lt. Jonathan Heisse filed the charges, which will be mailed to Price.

The horse was dropped off March 14 at the New Holland Sales Stables on West Fulton Street, Hambright said. It was very thin, nearly blind and injured.

Price, of East Providence, R.I., is charged with three counts of animal cruelty, a single count of dealing and handling animals without a license, and a single count of importing animals without an interstate health certificate.

Hambright said the horse was transported from a location in New Jersey to the auction site in Lancaster County.

The three animal cruelty charges pertain to Price’s neglect of Lily, the transport

of the horse, and her being offered for sale.

Each summary citation carries a maximum fine of $750 and maximum jail term of 90 days, plus additional court costs, which will be ordered by District Judge Rodney Hartman, if Price is proven guilty. At that point, restitution for the horse’s care will also be ordered.

Lily is being cared for at Penn Vet New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, where she continues to improve and gain weight. She is scheduled to be transported to Omega Horse Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Airville later this week.

Meanwhile, the reward for information on the arrest and conviction of those who shot Lily has been increased to $10,000. People for the Ethical Treatment of Amimals is contributing $4,000 toward the reward, the Humane Society another $5,000, and Omega Horse Rescue is chipping in $1,000.

Test results have revealed Lily does not have an infectious disease, which allows her to move out of isolation and into a recovery barn..

Dr. Nikki Scherrer, New Bolton Center Ophthalmology Resident who has been treating Lily, said she is beginning to recover some vision.

“Lily has been doing really well,” she said. “The main infectious disease we tested for was Strangles. We always wait two weeks prior to conducting that test because Strangles has an incubation period. She definitely has some vision. The ulcer still is not healed. That is our biggest hurdle. The eye is improving every day, so we have been able to back off of her pain medications.”

Scherrer said Lily’s condition has improved greatly since New Bolton received her.

“Lily is eating very well and seems comfortable,” Scherrer said. “She is going to have a dental float (teeth filed), which will help to make it a little easier for her to chew her food, which will help her to put on weight. She had a bath over the weekend, but some of the paint stains are still there.”

Omega Horse Rescue is handling inquiries about adoption and donations at omegahorserescue.com.

The Lancaster County SPCA is taking those tips and can be contacted at 717917-6979 or info@lancasterspca.org.

COURTESY PHOTO Lily is out of isolation at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square and is recovering from being shot by a paintball gun 130times.

COURTESY PHOTO Lily is pictured in her stable at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square. After successful surgery, she now has regained some vision. She was shot 130times with a paintball gun.