Montana man pleads no contest to cruelty after horse dies

BOZEMAN, Mont. – A Montana man has pleaded no contest to a felony charge of animal cruelty after his horse died from an injury.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports Dayle Kountz entered his plea Wednesday in District Court.

Prosecutors said Kountz failed to get follow-up care for the horse after it was hurt in December 2014. A witness told authorities in March 2015 the horse was missing a foot, lying in its own feces and suffering in a small stall.

Defense attorney Al Avignone says Kountz followed the recommendations of a veterinarian after the injury and regrets not getting more advice when the horse’s condition worsened.

Prosecutors are recommending a two-year suspended sentence and giving authorities the right to check Kountz’s animals if they have reasonable suspicion about their care.