Delta County man pleads not guilty to ten counts of animals running at large
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ESCANABA -- A man accused of allowing horses to roam at large for over one week in the Rapid River area has been arraigned in Delta County’s 94th District Court.
Arnold Proehl, 78, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 10 misdemeanor counts of animals running at large.
Under Michigan law, an owner includes a person who has a right of property in an animal, a person who keeps or harbors an animal or has it in his or her care or a person who permits an animal to remain on or about the premises occupied by him or her.
An animal is considered “running at large” when it is not under the owner’s control and is not on the owner’s premises.
The arraignment follows the recovery and return of several horses that allegedly escaped Proehl's farm in recent weeks. Community members made multiple calls to law enforcement after the horses were seen roaming roadways and private property in the T.65 Road area of Masonville Township, creating potential traffic hazards and public safety concerns.
On June 29, the Michigan State Police (MSP) were asked to conduct a welfare check on the horses. According to MSP Eighth District Public Information Officer Benjamin Eckola, troopers found the animals appeared healthy and had access to food and water.
The horses escaped July 3 after reportedly being startled by nearby fireworks and breaking through a fence. Authorities received multiple reports of loose horses on area roads, including U.S. 41 near Sunnybrook Lane, and property in the area of T.65 Road in Masonville Township. Troopers and assisting agencies were initially unable to locate them.
On July 4, an MSP trooper contacted Proehl after receiving information identifying him as the owner. According to police, Proehl said he was unaware the horses were missing.
The following day, MSP received a report that the horses had been located at a nearby farm, where they remained until they were returned to Proehl over the weekend.
Proehl’s next court appearance will be scheduled after he obtains court-appointed counsel.
The case is not the first time Proehl has faced charges involving horses.
In January 2009, he was arrested after 16 horses were removed from a Rapid River farm where investigators said the animals lacked adequate food, water, shelter, exercise and medical care.
Proehl, who identified himself as the horses’ caretaker, was convicted by a Delta County jury of felony cruelty to 10 or more animals. He was ordered to pay $13,633 to reimburse the costs of caring for the horses after they were seized.
The reimbursement was divided among multiple organizations that cared for the horses, including the International League for the Protection of Horses, Flagship Farm and the Marquette County Humane Society. The International League for the Protection of Horses referred to the rescued animals as “Delta County’s Sweet 16.”
Proehl was sentenced to 45 days in jail and five years of probation in 2009. As a condition of probation, he was prohibited from owning horses, being around horses or living at a property where horses were kept. That probation has since expired.
Proehl’s co-defendant in the 2009 case, Marvin Earl Harris of Chicago, was acquitted of animal cruelty charges. Harris reportedly owned the T.65 Lane property in Rapid River and was identified as the horses’ owner.
The trial included testimony from four veterinarians who examined the horses at various times, a veterinarian who performed a necropsy on a horse found dead on Harris’ property, law enforcement officers and other witnesses.
According to Delta County District Court records, Proehl was previously charged with animals running at large in 2001, 2005 and 2006. Those cases were dismissed. He was also charged in 2008 with animal abandonment/cruelty, and that case was dismissed.
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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.