A South King County man has been convicted of animal cruelty for neglecting his two horses which had become seriously ill and malnourished.

A jury in King County Superior Court convicted Phillip Dennis Billups last Wednesday on one count of animal cruelty in the first degree, a felony, and one count of animal cruelty in the second degree, which is a misdemeanor. The defendant was found not guilty on a charge of intimidating a witness. He will be sentenced later this month.

Animal cruelty in the first degree is usually reserved for cases involving deliberate acts of cruelty, however, the King County Prosecutor's Office in 2005 asked the Washington State Legislature to amend animal cruelty in the first degree so it could also be used in cases of severe neglect, specifically cases involving starvation or dehydration.

Animal cruelty in the first degree (starvation of an animal) was the charge filed in the Billups case. It is the first conviction in King County since the law was amended in 2005.

Prosecutors thanked King County's Department of Animal Control for its thorough investigation and for its help in rescuing the horses, Reno and Angel, from Billups' property in 2006. Both horses have recovered from being ill and malnourished.

Billups, 50, faces a sentence range of up to one year in jail. The Prosecutor's Office will also recommend that he not be allowed to own horses.

Dated: September 8, 2007