Montrose man now facing 84 felony animal cruelty charges in horse neglect case
MONTROSE, Colo. (KRDO) – A Montrose County man previously cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty is now facing 84 felony charges after prosecutors formally upgraded his charges following a deeper review of the evidence and the suspect’s prior history, according to the 7th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
On Aug. 11, Scott Flores, 61, was issued a summons by the Montrose County Sheriff’s Office for 84 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. The charges were linked to dozens of animals – including 79 horses – that had previously been removed from his rural property after a months-long investigation into their severe neglect.
However, the DA's office announced on Tuesday that the charges have now been elevated to felonies, citing both further evaluation of the case and a previous offense by Flores, which was not detailed.
The DA's office said Flores is scheduled to appear in Montrose County Court on Tuesday, Oct. 21, for advisement of the charges.
Background: Dozens of animals rescued from rural property
The investigation into Flores and the animals in his care began in May, when deputies received multiple reports of dead horses spotted on his rural Montrose property.
An MCSO Animal Control officer visited the property and spoke with Flores before taking photos of the several horses in his custody, many described as suffering from extreme neglect. The officer's findings led the state's Bureau of Animal Protection (BAP) to obtain a search warrant for the property and conduct multiple searches to document the conditions of the animals.
Following field evaluations by veterinarians, 79 horses, four dogs, and one goat were removed from the property, MCSO said.
The nearly 80 rescued horses were sent to Humane Colorado's Harmony Equine Center in Franktown to receive urgent medical care. The shelter reported that many of the animals showed signs of physical and emotional neglect, and several were suffering from untreated injuries, infections and severely overgrown hooves.
“These horses didn’t get this way overnight, and they won’t heal overnight either,” said Dr. Kim Gardner-Graff, a field services veteran at Humane Colorado. “We’re treating wounds, infections, advanced lameness, and years of trauma from what appears to be severe neglect.”
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