Woman who starved six horses put on probation

The woman responsible for the starvation deaths of six horses and the severe malnourishment of two others will spend the next two years on probation.

Tina Pickton, 32, also will be required to pay more than $6,000 in restitution and serve 400 hours of community service at an animal welfare organization.

She is prohibited from owning another animal of any type while on probation.

Flathead District Judge Stewart E. Stadler declined to give Pickton jail time, reasoning that emotional problems created when her three children moved out of state with their father presented extenuating circumstances and that people receive probation for much more serious crimes.

He did, however, order her to undergo a mental health evaluation at the discretion of her probation officer.

The court heard testimony Wednesday from the former owner of two of the horses.

"I've been in this business my entire life and I've never come across it," Sunny White said. "I don't trust people around my animals any more."

"I want to ask the court to stand up for all those horses," she said.

Pickton, formerly of Columbia Falls, pleaded guilty in September to one count of felony animal cruelty and one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Also known as Tina Houston, Pickton was arrested Feb. 8 after Flathead County Sheriff's deputies investigated reports that dead horses had been found on the pasture she leased on Bayou Road.

A neighbor came across what she thought were malnourished horses and contacted the landowner. The landowner then contacted authorities. Pickton had kept horses on that pasture for two years, according to court documents.

An inspection of the pasture on Feb. 7 turned up six dead and two malnourished horses.

One of the two horses found alive was later put down.

Brand inspectors determined that, without question, the horses died of starvation, according to court documents.

Investigators found no evidence of feed or equipment for feeding horses. In an effort to stay alive, starving horses had stripped the bark from nearby trees.

In exchange for guilty pleas on the animal cruelty charges, prosecutors dropped a felony charge for issuing bad checks.

Pickton was accused of writing more than $1,300 in bad checks in December 2006 and January 2007. The account the checks were written from had been closed.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com