Animal abuser must pay $8,200

A former El Paso County rancher who pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge for starving a horse to death was ordered to pay more than $8,000 in restitution Thursday over the objections of her lawyer.

Lori Manire, who now lives in Nevada, was ordered to pay about $8,200 to the horse’s owners, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region and the veterinarian who tried to save the horse.

Manire pleaded guilty to a felony cruelty to animals charge in March 2006 after Humane Society investigators found 39 sick, emaciated horses and cattle on her ranch in 2004. One horse died.

Her attorney, Shimon Kohn, argued the horse got sick while it was in Florida, not Colorado. He also said she shouldn’t have to pay the vet for routine procedures he might have done.

But 4th Judicial District Judge David Gilbert found Manire’s actions neglecting the horse were the reason for the restitution order, and he could see no evidence that vet did anything other than try to save the horse's life.

Manire served 90 days in jail and is serving a five year probation sentence.

Humane society officials called the case the worst they’d seen in 57 years.

Manire said the horses were in bad shape when she began caring for them but declined further comment.