Virginia – Franklin County man to serve jail time for starving horses

A Hardy man has been ordered to serve 20 days in jail after several malnourished horses were found on his property. Sixty-three-year-old Michael W. Cabbler pleaded guilty to seven counts of animal cruelty in Franklin County Circuit Court on Tuesday. In February, Cabbler’s property was inspected and animal control officers said they found his horses eating bark off trees, while two others were found inside the barn, wading in mud and manure. Cabbler testified that he had been feeding and taking care of the horses after being given them by other owners who hadn’t wanted them. In addition to jail time, Cabbler will no longer have any claim to the horses and will not be permitted to own any animals for five years.