Wichita County Sheriff Seeks Livestock Shelter

Sheriff David Duke wants Wichita County Commissioners to build a shelter for livestock.

Neglected and abandoned animals have become so bad of a problem a facility needs to be built just for large animals.

Horses are supposed to be strong and majestic.

Not neglected and frail.

But this is frequently how Wichita County sheriff's deputies find these animals.

"We get calls all the time about horses that look like death warmed over as people said or ribs are showing or they're sway back," says Sheriff David Duke.

In fact, the problem became increasingly worse over the past few years and it prompted Sheriff Duke to draw up a proposal asking Wichita County Commissioners to construct a facility more suited for livestock.

"A lot of people think you can just build a stall and stick them in there but you can't cause you've got to separate some of the male horses form the female horses. You've got aggressive horses. You have horses that can get injured on just the way the corrals are built if they're not built for horses," explains Duke.

Right now, Sheriff Duke says the county pays contract cowboys to round up loose, abandoned and neglected livestock and transport them to an Iowa Park facility that is designed for cattle.

But the facility he envisions will house a variety of livestock.

"It would have to be some type of barn to shelter the animals and separate the pens plus an area where you can load and unload the animals."

During Monday's County Commissioner's meeting county leaders decided to continue discussion on the project and look into hiring an architect to come up with a design and estimated cost for these loyal animals who have been left to fend for themselves.

Although the project is in the early stages Sheriff Duke says he has already found ways to cut costs.

He says the facility would be built on property the county already owns and inmates would be used to clean and feed the animals.