North Port, FL - A North Port man is facing numerous animal cruelty charges after horses are found in his possession severely malnourished.
On March 1, Sarasota County Sheriff's deputies and North Port Police responded to the area of Albin Avenue in North Port for a report of a stray horse wandering on the road. Officers from the North Port Police Department located the horse, and brought it back to its pasture located on the 6300 block of Malton Street. The horse appeared to be malnourished.
Deputies identified the owner, 42-year-old William Dufresne, and after questioning him, learned that he owned two horses and kept both in the same pasture. The pasture was in poor condition, with no grass for grazing and lacking the necessary feed to nourish the horses.
Both horses displayed signs of malnourishment and were in need of grooming. Further investigation showed that Dufresne had been reported to authorities in December and was aware that he needed to improve the quality of care for both horses. Dufresne relinquished custody and both horses and they were taken to a care facility for treatment.
Dufresne, is charged with two counts of Animal Cruelty: Aggravated and two counts of Confinement of an Animal Without Food. He was released early Friday morning on $4,000 bond.
