Woman convicted of animal cruelty after 25 horses found dead on Maryland farm, 100 horses seized

QUANTICO, Md. (AP) — - A 75-year-old woman who owns a horse farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore has been convicted of more than 30 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

The Daily Times in Salisbury reports that Barbara Pilchard was convicted on the misdemeanor charges on Friday. She was found not guilty of the felony animal cruelty charges that she also faced.

Pilchard testified during her trial that winter weather was to blame for the dozens of dead and starving horses found on her property last year in Quantico.

But Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis said the living horses were so starved they broke into the home in an attempt to find food.

A sentencing date has been postponed to allow for a pre-sentence investigation to be conducted.