Murtys arrested on charges of animal cruelty in Kentucky

Duane and Wayne Murty, brothers who were at the center of an animal neglect investigation earlier this month involving the former Hopewell Farm in Woodford County, Ky., have been arrested and charged with second-degree cruelty to animals, according to the Woodford County Detention Center’s inmate listing.

The arrests, which were first reported by local television station WLEX, took place on Thursday. The men have a July 29 court date in Versailles, Ky., and each is being held on $7,000 bond.

Officials from Woodford County Animal Control and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture opened the investigation in early July after receiving reports of neglected horses on a 43-acre property the brothers leased from the former Hopewell Farm.

Twenty-four horses reportedly were shut in dirty stalls and photos provided to local news media showed horses that appeared thin. In an interview with WLEX, Wayne Murty said the horses were in bad health due to the pasture weed creeping buttercup, which Murty said a veterinarian told them was poisoning the horses. Two of the horses were euthanized.

The Murtys vacated the property and relocated the horses to Bourbon County shortly before the farm, which was in receivership, was sold at public auction.