An Oakland man is charged with 94 counts of animal cruelty and failure to provide proper care. According to the Garrett County Sheriff’s Office of Animal Control 69 year old Chester Field Gaither Junior was charged following an investigation that stemmed from several citizen complaints concerning his farm on Kempton Road. In Feb deputies executed a search and seizure warrant and found a suspicious area of disturbed earth which led to uncovering 15 dead cattle. Lab tests results confirmed the cause of death to be malnutrition. Additional cows in the pasture were assessed by a large animal veterinarian and were found to be n poor condition. In all 47 cows were either dead or in poor condition from lack of proper care. 23 of the cattle were previously owned by a family member who faced similar charges from the Garrett County Humane Society and was found guilty.
