More horses seized, euthanised from convicted animal abuser Shane Jones’ shelter

Horses from a convicted animal abuser in the Riverlands were seized by the RSPCA with many being recommended to be euthanised by vets.

The RSPCA has seized six horses – two that had to be euthanised – from a couple running an animal welfare organisation north east of Adelaide who were convicted of the ill treatment of animals two years ago.

Shane Jones and his partner Carole Morris co-founded the South Australian Humane Animal Rescue Association (SAHARA) in 2019 but SAHARA lost its charity status in October.

The fresh allegations of ill treatment has led to renewed calls from former volunteers to shut down the organisation.

The Sunday Mail visited the 500-acre Morgan property, about 160km from Adelaide, on Friday where they witnessed horses in barren paddocks with protruding ribs.

However, Mr Jones has denied further ill treatment allegations.

Carole Morris and Shane Jones were fined for animal cruelty charges in 2022. Photo: Courts SA

The court case

In 2022, the couple pleaded guilty to six counts of ill treatment of an animal between them. Ms Morris pleaded guilty to five counts and Mr Jones pleaded guilty to one.

Mr Jones was fined $1250 and Ms Morris $5400 and they were banned from sitting on the SAHARA board and being involved in decision making.

Magistrate Edward Stratton-Smith said he accepted the duo weren’t intentionally cruel to the animals but failed in their responsibility to provide adequate care for them.

On Friday, Mr Jones said most of the 450 animals, including the more than 100 dogs, at the time when the charges were laid had, been rehomed and further neglect was not possible because the RSPCA regularly visited the property.

Horses at South Australian Humane Animal Rescue Association (SAHARA) at Morgan on Friday, owned by Shane Jones. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

New allegations of animal neglect

In October, the RSPCA seized six horses from the property, two of which had to be euthanised.

Mark Aldridge, a friend of Ms Morris who was too ill to speak with the Sunday Mail, confirmed the RSPCA had seized six horses in October from the property.

However, Mr Aldridge said he did not believe the six horses needed to be seized or euthanised.

Mr Jones said while 70 on the property were his, the six that were seized were not owned by him.

He said a third party owned the six horses that were seized.

Earlier this month, Mr Jones’ own vet conducted an RSPCA-mandated monthly inspection at the property and suggested at least 20 horses be euthanised because they were in poor health.

Mr Aldridge said only one of those twenty horses were eventually euthanised by Mr Jones and did not believe that the rest were in ill-health.

RSPCA SA has confirmed there are ongoing investigations into SAHARA and Mr Jones.

Mark Aldridge with Jasper the bull at the Morgan property owned by Shane Jones. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

When the Sunday Mail visited the Morgan property

On Friday – a 38-degree day – the Sunday Mail visited the property and saw up to 100 animals – some kept in pens - including about 10 of the 70 horses all owned by Mr Jones.

Most of the horses seen by The Sunday Mail had protruding ribs.

He was unable to tell the Sunday Mail where the 20 horses the vet recommended be euthanised were.

However, Mr Aldridge conceded there was insufficient hay to feed the remaining 70 horses but blamed “online haters” who spread misinformation leading to the organisation losing millions of dollars in donations.

Shane Jones with horse Harry.s. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

RSPCA investigation

Documents seen by the Sunday Mail confirm the RSPCA has imposed a requirement on Mr Jones to register details of potential new owners of animals he rehomes.

The RSPCA says they have not had any applications from Mr Jones to re-home animals since they created this requirement - designed in part to ensure animals which are said to be rehomed are not just hidden from view.

Mr Aldridge said he believed the RSPCA targeted the Morgan property because it had “a conflict of interest” in that both organisations and “compete for the same charity money”.

He said Mr Jones’ vet only recommended euthanising the horses “to keep the RSPCA happy”.

Dog at a SAHARA shelter prior to the 2022 conviction Picture: Supplied

Former volunteers’ renewed calls for the organisation to be shut down

The recent seizure of animals from the property has prompted renewed calls from former volunteers to shut the organisation down.

Three former volunteers who volunteered at the organisation’s property in Morgan before the 2022 conviction, said they witnessed a pattern where the owners were inexplicably “refusing to re-home even the animals they were the least able to care for” and did “not provide adequate vet care”.

They all described the couple as “animal hoarders.”

The organisation’s former surrender co-ordinator Deirdre Weber told the Sunday Mail when she was a volunteer in 2018 animals were often malnourished with matted hair and rotting teeth, empty water bowls, several had missing eyes and one dog was kept in a cage for years so small he could not stand up.

Ms Weber said she attempted to adopt one of the 100 or more dogs on the property – an old blind dog with poor health named Bansky – that was “clearly suffering” in 2018 but Ms Morris refused.

Picture of a dog at their former premises in Black Springs, volunteers said it lost its eye after being attached by another shelter dog. Picture: Supplied

Eventually, Ms Weber carried the animal into her car as Ms Morris called the police and told her never to return to the property.

Mr Aldridge denied the couple hoarded animals saying she was concerned about moving a blind dog to a new environment.

Mr Jones also denied the couple were animal hoarders and said there was “overflowing demand” to look after rescue animals.

He said the couple dedicated their lives to animals and they would no longer be alive if it weren’t for their shelter.