KALISPELL - An aggravated animal cruelty charge against a California woman accused of starving horses in Flathead County has been dismissed.
Court documents show the felony against Cynthia Hamilton has been dismissed after Hamilton reached an agreement with the State of Montana to relinquish her ownership of the seized horses.
Hamilton agreed to transfer ownership of the horses to the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.
Back in September of 2021, Flathead County Animal Control was dispatched to a residence in the Columbia Falls area for an animal cruelty case involving 17 horses.
Animal control found horses in very poor condition suffering from starvation.
The Sheriff’s Office received hay donations from the Flathead community helping renourish the horses.
A jury trial was originally scheduled to begin on July 11.
