Lexington Man Charged with Animal Cruelty

5/24/07 -- Lexington, OK - A Lexington man is accused of injuring two cows after dragging them behind his truck.

According to court records, Matthew Ray Howry, 32, agreed to keep two cows (8 months old) on his property for another man's sons. The sons were planing to show the cows at F.F.A.

Two weeks later, the owner of the cows paid a visit to Howry and discovered the cows to "have ligature marks around their necks ... their heads to be swollen ... [and] one of the cows was malnourished and would not move."

Howry reportedly told the owner he had pulled the cows behind his truck with a rope to "break them [in]."

The owner of the cows took them to a local veterinarian and then called police.

The vet determined one of the cows had cervical neck damage and was in "bad shape."

When police asked Howry if the cows resisted when he was pulling them with his truck, he allegedly replied, "a little, at first."

On May 17th Howry was charged with felony cruelty to animals.