Bannock County was informed in 2011 that an owner of a huge herd of horses 300+ was failing to provide reasonable care for the animals. The County had several calls over the course of a year about these animals. They were by a truck stop so they got noticed. As far away as Cananda reported the 6 inches of backbone and the lack of food and water. Dispatch would send a County Officer to the scene and then back to Pocatello where the man owns a car lot to speak with him about their condition. He always had a reason or excuses about their condition. Most of the officers were not trained in animal care and would have to reach out to the animal welfare group PAWS to assist the Officers. Trouble was for the past couple of years the President of the Organization had gotten fearful of Town Hall and refused to participate. She stated she was afraid Mr Hall would harm her animals. Mr Hall had made threats in South Bannock County to people. He was well know within the Community and feared. He horses were starving to death on Tool Road and dropping dead. He would simply slide them off the cliff to the State Side. If he moved them at all. Mostly he would have his hired hand drop a big straw bale on the dead animal to hide it for the winter. Horses don't eat straw unless they are straving so the dead animals were well hidden. He had 20 dead horses in his field across from Flags West in Downey. He had 25 more in the big field on Tool. He has a dead animal pit off the cliff on the backside of his property where it meets the states property. Too many dead horses to count. This Spring Bannock County Sheriffs Office got permission from the Prosecutor/Commissionsers to cite him. The Judge allowed the Video and pictures into evidence. Pressure was put on Town to start feeding so he started dropping lots of furmented barley and mostly black hay. More horses died because of the feed. Rolling back and forth until they twisted their gut and died a painful death. More calls from upset citizens. More pressure was place on Town for providing water for the big herds. He managed it this Summer but winter is here and the horses water is frozen. People don't want to call the Sheriff's Department anymore. The Prosecutor let them down. They gave Mr Hall a Plea Agreement. The people have been watching this abuse for 10 years. Two days before Jury selection the Idaho State Journal ran a full front page story about how much Town Hall had given to our community. He was shaking Commissioner Hadley's hand on the front page. The Journal was called the next day about it and they stated they were "unaware" of the pending court case against Mr.Hall at the time of press. The Journal was approached last April for coverage of this story and they felt it would be a "Conflict of Interest". It wasn't until I saw the picture of our soon to be convicted animal abuser on the front page with Commissioner Hadley did I understand what kind of "conflict". Horses died during the investigation and the Sheriffs Office would be called by local people and Town Hall would be contacted to come drag the sick/dead animal off before they got more angry calls. Pretty quick it was hard to see who was working for whom. So the herd looks good now but just as soon as the neighbors stop paying attention they will be without water or food. It the man's MO. A Mare bleeding to death after foaling and the foal chased off a cliff by the hired hand and Town Hall. County Ordinance Inspector made him clean up some of the dead horses off the cliff. He left a pickup truck load of them along side of the county road going to Flags to remind the Sheriff's Dept it doesn't pay to work long hours on animal abuse cases. He has friends in high places. Someone sent a man out to post a "No Trespassing" sign in front of the pile of horse heads and bones. Its become a South Bannock County Landmark.
