There was a time not so long ago when it was common to see David Tumlin hitching his horse outside local businesses. On the surface it seemed bucolic – a throwback to a simpler time. Watching him ride horseback along the shoulder of Highway 365 to and from his home in Alto seemed more an oddity than a menace. But animal control officials say it was a menace to the horses involved.
Today, the 57-year old Tumlin stands convicted of aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony. It’s the first such felony conviction in Habersham County, according to Animal Care and Control director Madi Hawkins.
According to the indictment against him, Tumlin “maliciously” and permanently harmed a sorrel mare named Rodeo. Hawkins says the mare was not properly cared for and, as a result, suffered a chronic wound where the saddle rested on her withers. “That mare can never be saddled again,” Hawkins says.
Tumlin also is convicted of cruelty to animals for failing to provide another mare named Little Shirley with adequate food, water and sanitary conditions.
Tumlin pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this year but later entered into a negotiated plea deal. On February 16 he was sentenced to a total of six years probation – five years for aggravated cruelty and one year for the lesser charge – during which time he is barred from owning or caring for any animals.
