Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Sunday night, reported the arrest on Dec. 18th, of 46-year old Daniel Ray Brownlee, of Macksburg. Brownlee was arrested for Failure to Dispose of a dead animal and Livestock Neglect. He was subsequently cited for the offenses and then released.

Authorities say on Dec. 10th, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about possible livestock neglect and improper disposal of a deceased cow, in the 3000 block of 300th Street, in Adair County. The caller said the deceased animal had been there so long other animals were feeding on it. A deputy saw the deceased animal from the roadway, and said noted there appeared to be no hay or other food sources in any of the hay rings or around the lot. Some of the cattle were also malnourished.

After he climbed the gate for further inspection, the Deputy found no water in any of the tanks, and the pond was frozen over. As he was documenting the scene, he found a red cow that was on its side and presumably deceased, but to his surprise, the animal was still alive and had been in the process of giving birth, but with complications. The calf was mostly outside the cow and frozen to death. The cow was alive but in severe distress. The deputy then left the area to obtain a search warrant and the assistance of a veterinarian. The vet arrived later that same evening and said the cow needed to be put down.

The owner of the cow (Daniel Brownlee) was notified of the situation and instructed to dispose of the cow in accordance with Iowa Code. When the deputy returned on Dec. 13th, he was shocked to find the animal still alive and still in serious distress, and in the exact same position she was in 69 hours earlier. When Brownlee was again contacted, he said the thought the cow had died. The deputy obtained his permission to euthanize the animal, and contacted the same veterinarian as before.