MONTICELLO - An animal cruelty investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office has led to the arrest of a man in the Town of Thompson.

Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, deputies went to a farm located at 124 South Maplewood Road last week and found seven horses starving and one dead.

Deputies seized the dead horse for examination, and had the remaining horses examined by a veterinarian.

The investigation revealed that the deceased horse had starved to death and the other seven were suffering from malnutrition, said Sheriff Michael Schiff.

Deputies arrested Vernon Houghtaling, 62, who is the caretaker of the farm, and charged him with 15 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

The dead horse belonged to Houghtaling and the other horses were in his care. Houghtaling was released on his own recognizance to appear in the Town of Thompson Justice Court.

“Cases like this are becoming more common," said Schiff. “With the tough economy and the loss of jobs, people are having trouble taking care of their animals.”