Man Accused Of Horse Abuse Arrested Again In Fulton

ATLANTA, GA -- A man accused of animal cruelty last year in the alleged abuse of several of his horses was arrested again Saturday for similar charges, Patch has learned.

Brandon Fulton, known as "The Urban Cowboy" for his exploits on horses around Atlanta, is facing multiple counts of animal cruelty in a case stemming from last summer, when authorities raided his south Fulton County property and found horses in ill health and several of them dead.

Earlier this year, the People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals called for stiff penalties for Fulton in the animal abuse case, which is being watched by animal lovers across the metro area.

In the latest incident, which occurred Saturday, authorities found animals on Fulton's property tied up with no food or water, according to news reports. A calf suffering from scours was found laying in a trailer covered in feces and a horse's leg was reportedly wrapped in barb wire.

“Three organizations from Georgia Horse Rescues United came to the Rescue late last night," Cheryl Flanagan of Save The Horses, wrote on Facebook. "GA Draft Horse Rescue and Recovery, Trinity Rescue and SaveTheHorses were there to help.”

Fulton also is accused of threatening an animal control officer, Karen Hirsch from the LifeLine Animal Project, told WAGA-TV. Officers were called to the property on Saturday after being alerted that Fulton had new horses on the site, the TV station reports.

South Fulton law enforcement authorities have been building a case against Fulton since July 2016, when he was arrested after four dead horses were found on his property. In February, Fulton had even more charges levied against him when investigators reportedly found him at his farm on Butner Road off Camp Creek Parkway with horses not getting proper amounts of water.

PETA said in a letter early last month to law enforcement officials, including District Attorney Paul Howard, that the group has gotten reports that Fulton has more horses and that he needs to be made an example of.

"If the aforementioned records and allegations are accurate, then Fulton has repeatedly demonstrated a stark unwillingness or inability to meet fundamental duties of animal custodianshi," PETA Cruelty Casework Associate Manager Kristin Rickman said. "We respectfully request that horses currently in his care or custody be immediately seized, as provided for by § 4-13-4 of the Humane Care for Equines Act. We also ask that if convicted, he be prohibited from owning or harboring animals for as long as possible (a common provision in such cases). Please know that we stand ready to secure experts to testify, as needed."

In February, Fulton was again found afoul of the law when law enforcement officers showed up at his horse-laden property.

“He was charged with four more counts of cruelty after one of our officers responded to an anonymous call saying he was beating his horses,” a law enforcement official told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The officer wrote him up for not providing his horses with water.”

Flanagan shared video on Facebook of a cafe that purportedly came from a trailer on Fulton's property.

"This little calf was locked in a small horse trailer for who knows how long. He had scours and was dehydrated when Fulton Co Animal Services called for help. ... He's on his way to a good life. I think he may already be spoken for. So many people have offered to take this calf."

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