JEFFERSON, S.C. - Working off an anonymous tip, the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office started taking a close look at a farm off Highway 151 in Jefferson.  They found about 160 cows and horses in various stages of starvation.  The cows are in the worst shape; you can see their protruding hip bones and rib cages.  There are about 50 horses.  Some are maintaining their weight - for now.  Others are rapidly losing, like one big black draft horse.  All of their hooves need care. 

As for the owner?  Sheriff Sam Parker says, "Actually the owner admitted to us that he had just basically give up, he quit feeding them."  FOX News @ Ten anchor Morgan Fogarty asked, "And do you think he quit feeding them for financial reasons or (he) just didn't care?" Parker said, "Right now, we hate to say it, but just didn't care.  Nothing indicates he could not afford feeding them, from what we're looking at."

Parker's animal control officers have dropped off bales of hay for the animals.  For others, it is already too late.  We saw the carcasses of two horses and two cows that had very recently died, as well as bones from older carcasses.
 
While we were on the property, the owner, Stan DeLannie, showed up.  Fogarty asked him, "How come you just stopped feeding everything?" He replied, "No comment." Fogarty asked, "Is it a money issue or just not caring issue?" He replied, "I don't wish to discuss it." Fogarty asked, "Does it have any impact on you to see all these dead animals? Sir? Or the ones that are starving? Do you think you should have fed them?"  DeLannie drove off in a pick up truck pulling a livestock trailer.

Parker says, "At this point we have a seizure order on the animals, they're right now in our possession, Chesterfield County possession, awaiting, again, help, Morgan. Anybody that can help us, we're open to it."

DeLannie was instructed not to remove any of the animals from the property.  Deputies are ready to serve him with at least four warrants on felony animal cruelty charges.  A vet will determine if more charges should be added after she examines the animals on Wednesday.  Call the sheriff's office at 843-623-2101 if you can help.