GRACEVILLE — The managers of a Graceville dairy were arrested Friday on charges of neglecting about 90 dairy cattle.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced the arrests of Joseph Dodge Harvey Clark, 75, Richard Kevin Clark, 51, and Nikki Slininger, 31, who managed the Wild Rose Dairy at 1230 Underwood Road in Graceville. The three Holmes County residents were charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, and unlawful disposal of animal carcasses, a second-degree misdemeanor.
At the time of the arrest, officers found Slininger with methamphetamine and charged her with possession of a controlled substance, agriculture officers said.
The investigation stemmed from a routine food safety inspection at the dairy on Feb. 11. Inspectors detected unsanitary conditions at the dairy and immediately issued a stop sale order for violations of food safety regulations, according to a news release. Inspectors observed about 90 dairy cows in poor condition, and a veterinarian at the agriculture department later confirmed the poor condition of the cattle was due to neglect.
On Feb. 17, law enforcement officers transferred the remaining dairy cattle to another local dairy, where they could live under proper care until the court can determine ownership and a long-term care solution.