Woman pleads guilty to starving horses

Tina Pickton pleaded guilty Wednesday in Flathead County District Court to one count of felony aggravated cruelty to animals for the starvation deaths of six horses and the severe malnourishment of two others.

Pursuant to a plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend that the 32-year-old Pickton, formerly of Columbia Falls, receive a three-year suspended prison sentence.

She also would be required to serve 200 hours of community service and would be prohibited from owning another animal.

Sentencing is scheduled in November.

Pickton, also known as Tina Houston, 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 cause of death was 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.

Pickton, who no longer lives in the Flathead Valley, is free on a $20,000 commercial bond.

In exchange for a guilty plea on the animal cruelty charge, 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, according to court documents.

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