Authorities seek to re-arrest suspect in animal cruelty case

Posted 2/2/16

Michael A. Wood, 39, made bail last month on 13 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, but a few days after he went free, the Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed three more cruelty charges.

A judge issued a warrant for Wood on the …

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Authorities seek to re-arrest suspect in animal cruelty case

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Park County authorities are looking to re-arrest a Clark man who allegedly caused the death of seven of his horses and three of his dogs by failing to properly feed and care for them.

Michael A. Wood, 39, made bail last month on 13 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, but a few days after he went free, the Park County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed three more cruelty charges.

A judge issued a warrant for Wood on the additional counts on Jan. 22, but, as of Monday afternoon, authorities had been unable to find him.

In a news release last week, the Park County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone with information about Wood’s whereabouts to contact them at 307-527-8700.

The Sheriff’s Office found seven dead and six thin horses on Wood’s Crossfire Trail property back on Jan. 9, charging documents allege.

On Jan. 14 — acting on another tip from a neighbor — deputies returned and found two dead dogs in a horse trailer and another inside Wood’s house. Three apparently underfed, living dogs were also seized, along with three living cats, charging documents say.

Wood was arrested the following day on the 13 charges relating to the horses.

At Wood’s initial Jan. 18 court appearance, Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Davis warned that authorities would likely be filing the additional charges in connection with the dead dogs.

Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters accepted Davis’ recommendation and set Wood’s bail at $7,500 cash. The bond conditions did not restrict his travel, but did include requirements that he not own or possess any animals.

Wood’s mother posted the $7,500 the next day, court records show, and Wood was released.

A couple days after that, on Jan. 21, the Wyoming Veterinary Laboratory sent back results concluding that one of the dead dogs had died of starvation, charging documents say. Cody veterinarian Mel Fillerup had previously concluded the other two dogs had died from malnutrition.

Prosecutors filed the additional charges Jan. 22.

Wood has reportedly given authorities several possible explanations for the animals’ deaths, including allegedly acknowledging he didn’t have the money to care for his horses and reporting that some of the animals had health problems.

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