On January 15th, 2025, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation on neglect of horses believed to belong to Rochelle Peterson of Shoals. Corporal Ryan Hawkins, Captain Larry Gibson, Deputy Matthew Branham, and Veterinarian Eric Renshaw with the Indiana Board of Animal Health conducted a welfare check on a total of 8 horses at Peterson’s residence. Deputies inspected the small pasture the horses were limited to and found that they did not have sufficient access to food and did not have access to water due to the deep mud and manure that was now frozen over making it impossible for the horses to access the small amount of food and water in the pasture. The horses showed signs of being emaciated and many also had scarring on their legs from traversing through the belly deep and frozen mud. One horse was non weight bearing when deputies arrived and ultimately had to be put down due to a dislocation of the pelvis that was not able to be fixed. The horses were also observed eating manure multiple times during the investigation.
Dr. Renshaw completed an assessment of each horse individually and concluded that 8 out of the 8 horses were in poor condition, at immediate risk, and needed immediate intervention to protect the safety and well-being of the horses. During the investigation, it was found that Dakota Rice and Mykaela Rice owned a portion of the horses and were also responsible for the feeding, watering, and taking care of the horses. With the recommendation from Dr. Renshaw, and the Martin County Deputies, all three parties agreed to voluntarily and permanently surrender the horses to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office to transport them to a place of rehabilitation. Corporal Ryan Hawkins finished his investigation and applied for arrest warrants through the Martin County Prosecutor’s Office for Mrs. Peterson and Mr. And Mrs. Rice. The arrest warrants were granted by Honorable Judge Wright-Ryan of the Martin Circuit Court.
On February 6th, 2025, Corporal Hawkins, Captain Gibson, Chief Deputy Keith Keller, and Deputy Matthew Branham were able to locate all three parties and arrested them on the Martin County warrants. The Dubois County Sheriff’s Office also assisted in one of the arrests. The suspects were transported to the Martin County Jail without incident and immediately posted bond:
Rochelle Peterson – Cruelty to an animal – Class A misdemeanor bond set to $10,000 10%
Mykaela Rice- Cruelty to an animal – Class A misdemeanor bond set to $10,000 10%
Dakota Rice- Cruelty to an animal – Class A misdemeanor bond set to $10,000 10%The horses were transported to Sugars Ridge Ranch in Martin County to be carefully monitored and rehabilitated. Sugars Ridge Ranch is a nonprofit organization run by Donnie Simmerman of Shoals. If you would like to help with the financial needs including, but not limited to food and vet care, please check out their Facebook page for ways to assist in bringing these horses back to health and watch their recovery. If you would like to make a donation in person, it can be dropped off at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
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