Published Saturday, October 26, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
Mercer County Humane Society agents plan to remove 30 head of underfed cattle Monday from an East Lackawannock Township farm.
The owner of the farm was cited for kicking a humane agent who went to the farm at 7:40 p.m. Thursday.
State police charged an angry Robert J. Bagnall, 81, of 299 Flat Road with harassment after he kicked Cynthia Sankey, 45, of Greenville, in the leg. Ms. Sankey, who was not injured, had gone to the farm to inform Bagnall his cattle were starving and would be removed, police said.
Agents arrived at Bagnall's farm Friday morning, where they said they found 30 cows and calves and about 14 pigs. They determined the pigs were fine, but said they would return Monday with more help to take the cows to an undisclosed farm.
Mercer County Humane Society Executive Director Sandy Drabick said the society has gotten at least four calls during the last several years about the condition of Bagnall's farm.
"We kind of laid back until now, but now we're at the point where something has to be done," Ms. Drabick said.
Rick Harakal, humane society board president, said a call came in a few days ago about a dead cow in the field at Bagnall's farm. A farm employee put a chain around its neck and dragged it out of the field and over the hill, he said. But when humane agents saw the cow two days later, it was still alive, Harakal said.
The humane society's mobile veterinarian euthanized the cow, which had starved nearly to death. Harakal said the veterinarian told them the cow had only a 10 percent chance of survival.
There was also a dog at the farm, but Harakal said the humane society would probably provide the dog with more adequate shelter rather than take it away.
"We don't want to take things unless they're in danger of dying," he said.