Man beheads his horse and feeds its head to his dogs, police say

A Riverside County man was arrested on charges of felony animal cruelty after police say he bludgeoned his horse with a sledgehammer, decapitated it with a chainsaw and fed it to his dogs.

Jack Ziniuk, 64, of rural Anza called authorities Sunday morning to say his horse had been injured by dogs, was having seizures and needed to be put down,  Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Bill Roach said.

But when officers arrived they found a headless horse. A bloody sledgehammer was submerged in a bucket of water and a chainsaw sat nearby. The animal’s head was lying in a dog run where Roach said it was serving as food for Ziniuk’s dogs.

“He told us he was having an argument with his neighbors and some dogs had attacked his horse but when deputies got out there they found the horse already dead,” Roach said. “He essentially admitted that he did it and that no dogs had attacked the horse.”

Roach said he didn’t know why Ziniuk would call police saying his animal was ill and then behead it before they arrived.

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services has been to Ziniuk’s property numerous times because of his animals' living conditions, said John Welsh, department spokesman.

“We have been keeping an eye on this guy for a long time,” he said. “We have cited him for having too many dogs and not having dog licenses. We have cited him for everything we could cite him for, but he has done just enough to avoid seizure of his animals.”

Court records show that Ziniuk has faced multiple kennel violation charges along with failure to get his animals properly vaccinated.

Welsh said Ziniuk had at least 33 dogs, eight puppies, 10 goats, peacocks and geese. Two other men on the property will care for those animals while Ziniuk is gone.

The horse’s remains have been sent to a state lab, where a necropsy is being done to determine the cause of death and whether it was alive when decapitated.

“It appears this horse did not receive the vet care it needed prior to its death,” Welsh said. “This is common sense. If you have an animal that is suffering, get it the help it needs.”

Ziniuk is being held at the Robert Pressley Detention Center.

-- David Kelly

Photo: Jack Ziniuk, 64, was arrested on charges of animal cruelty. Credit: Riverside County Sheriff's Department

Comments

[MexiChick]

What good is it if the police or animal control goes out to this man's property and all they do is wag their finger at him? If there is clear abuse or that he fails to make corrections within a set time then haul him off to jail! No sense in letting him continue his abuse of these helpless animals. The county needs to get it's act together on this one.

[Erwin Speakman]

In the mostly mythical Wild West, one thing was certain. Horse thieves were hanged. I say, if found guilty, put him in a small cage in the middle of horse country. Horse lovers will take care of the punishment.

[Brittany]

Why did it take the senseless killing on an innocent animal to bring this guy in? And why haven't they taken away his other animals?

[Patrick]

Los Angeles, Ca. USA
Where people of all ages are left to die on the streets for lack of simple medical care?
But if one mistreats a dog or horse; your police will arrest the man, who has no medical care, and give his cat, dog or pig, the very best medical care in the world!
If only you treated your fellow humans so well?
It is indeed terrible to see mistreatment of any poor human or animal. But please care for your fellow man as well as you do your horses.

[Charlie George]

Ah I don't get it, can't he kill a horse? Isn't a sledgehammer a decent method? Whose business is it what he does with the remains?

Seems to me this is just a firestorm sympathy case, not a criminal case.

[Hugh]

The goats made him do it.

[Jan]

We need stronger penalties for animal abuse nationwide.

I can't understand why his other animals can't be taken. They took Michael Vicks dogs when he was arrested.

Give him the maximum three years. Maybe when he is sick in jail another inmate will bash his head against the cell wall.

[Christine]

I wouldn't call beheading anyone or anything 'mistreatment'--what does cruelty have to do with lack of medical care for anyone? And I can't get the medical care I need either, but I'm not going to kill my pets as an answer. The world has gone insane, if this is how the average person reacts to this story.

[chloe]

why must people like Patrick above make such statements. who has ever suggested that we favor animals over people. both people AND animals deserve to be taken care of and kept safe from sick individuals. people who cannot see a connection between the treatment of animals and people are missing the compassion gene.

give me fifteen minutes with jack and keep the chainsaw running. people who abuse animals and people need a taste of their own foul medicine.

[cj]

Put this guy away and throw away the key let him rot in jail.

[megan]

What a wretched wretched man. He should never be allowed back to be around animals ever again. He should clean up that bloody mess then be clubbed to death. Humans are horrible and senseless. If the world ends, I'm not saddened.
Animals never inflict this much brutality on one another.

[mattathias]

It's utterly absurd to equate this story with that of neglected homeless. If a homeless person was bludgeoned to death, beheaded with a chainsaw, and the head fed to dogs, I am quite confident it would be a headline horror story.

[Carli]

This makes me absolutely sick! I am an equine massage therapist and work in Anza regularly. There is absolutely no excuse for animal abuse and people should be punished as if they had done this to a person. If you neglect and abuse your child you go to jail, you don't get a slap on the wrist. It's common sense, this man was a bad person who obviously didn't care about his animals and used them as a way to take out his aggression. I HATE people like this!

[Amy]

Patrick,

Why is care and compassion a zero sum game? The fact that society needs to do more to care for its human members doesn't negate its obligations to animals.

[GeneTierney]

Ziniuk is a poor excuse for a human being. Disgusting old man deserves to rot in jail surrounded by horse manure.

[Jim]

Patrick horses, dogs, and other animals do not have the opportunity to go to school to get a job and support themselves. If they need help, they can not walk into a hospital emergency room where people including illegal aliens are not denied medical treatment. Animals who are often chained can not call 911 and tell the police that they are being abused. Domestic Violence victims can but choose not to. A horse often works for the rest of its life pulling things, or carrying people for free. Lazy useless members of society often push things like shopping carts. If you feel so sorry for useless human beings like the homeless, then adopt them into your home. I'm sure they would make great baby sitters for your family.

[Chrissy]

My only question is....isn't this finally enough to get the other animals taken, or are they going to be forced to remain in these conditions? Where were the other 2 occupants of the property when the horse was being murdered? This makes me sick!!!

[Karin Wallace]

I think this man's head should be cut off...its TOTALLY DISGUSTING...HIS PINISHMENT needs to be harsh..poor animals living with this monster..!

[Sam]

I live right down the street from this guy! He is so old like he has an oxygen mask and can barely move! I just don't beleive that he could have done this! He just does not have the energy to!

[Mia Johansson]

This kinda Creep, Gives me The Creeps!! And This County needs to get it,s act together , and Stop these SICK Individauls.. Why Don,t You !!! ?? because The County gives a Damn !! I,m Glad I don,t live in that Creepy County !! Is it so hard to Stopp and Put this CREEP Away .. Away from ALL Animals !! and Away from All Humans, as well , For GOOD !! Especially Away from Me !!! They,re saying this CREEP had Health-issues !! Then Why did the Creep Have Animals for !! ????? How could the County Allow This Creep To even have Animals !! Answer us that, The County ...Please....