No more animal care

November 21, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

PALMER - A Wasilla woman who, with her partner, allowed their horses to starve, agreed to not care for animals as part of her plea agreement in Palmer District Court Nov. 16.

Deborah M. Nardini, 32, was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals in May as a result of an investigation by Alaska State Troopers. In an agreement worked out between the state and Lyle Stohler, Nardini's appointed attorney, the state dismissed one charge.

Jon-Marc Peterson, assistant district attorney, also agreed to suspend imposition of Nardini's sentence, provided she perform 80 hours community work service within 48 months and not violate conditions of her one-year probation.

&#8220The court saw the facts in her co-defendant's plea,” Peterson said. &#8220It's extremely expensive to care for horses in winter.”

Stohler said Nardini had no criminal history, and this was an unfortunate case.

&#8220She was in a relationship with a man who bought horses and put their care on her,” Stohler said.

Judge William Estelle credited Nardini's clean record, and accepted the agreement. But he told Nardini that animals, and especially horses, are an emotional issue with people.

&#8220Many people respond with time, energy and money in horse cases,” Judge Estelle said. &#8220Caring for animals, if you're in for a dime, you're in for a dollar.”

In March, troopers received a report of animal cruelty on South Vicki Way in Wasilla, according to the police report. Troopers discovered Nardini and Gary Fank, 32, bought two horses in October 2005, a gray Appaloosa mare called Happy and a blonde Belgium draft horse named Nick, the report said. While the mare was underweight when Nardini and Fank bought her, Nick was in good condition, the report said.

Mat-Su Borough Animal Care responded to the Vicki Way home &#8220on several occasions,” and issued two written warnings and one citation regarding the horses, the report said. Nardini and Fank bought &#8220less than one round bail of hay per month” when money got tight over the winter, but one 800 to 1,000 pound round bale of good hay would be enough to feed two horses for 10 days only, the report said.

When the Appaloosa went down in January, Fank shot it and gave the carcass to a musher to feed his dogs, the report said. On March 6, when Nick went down and could not get up, Nardini and Fank relinquished ownership, the report said.

Weighing half of the recommended weight for a horse his size, Nick lasted five more days under the care of a veterinarian, but when Nick's heart started failing, the vet euthanized the horse, the report said.

A necropsy showed no fat around Nick's heart or other organs, which indicated starvation, the report said.

Court records show Fank received a $1,000 fine, which was suspended, and five years probation on Oct. 30.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.