Man faces 60 new animal cruelty charges related to starving horses

A Parkland County man first charged five days ago in relation to dead horses found on an acreage west of Edmonton now faces further charges.

Ross Andrew Atkinson, 50, turned himself in and faces 60 new Criminal Code charges of permitting or causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to animals, Evansburg RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

Atkinson was originally charged with three counts of the same chargeon Monday,a few days after police found three dead horses on an acreage in Parkland County.

His three charges came after police charged Patricia Lynn Moore, 48, for the same alleged offences.

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Police investigating reports of starving and emaciated horses went back to Moore's propertynear Entwistle on Tuesday and found horses invaried states of health.

They took away 65 horses and six dogs from the property.

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Atkinson was released from custody after a bail hearing and is scheduled to appear in Evansburg provincial court Jan. 14.

RCMP said the surviving animals are being cared for.

The Alberta SPCA is investigating separately from the RCMP.