Centre County man gets jail time after animals were found dead or neglected on his farm
A Centre County man was sentenced Friday to at least two months in jail after animals on his farm were found either dead or neglected in the winter.
Levi K. Byler, 31, of Curtin Township, was sentenced by Centre County Judge Katie Oliver to a maximum of one year in the county jail. He received credit for 39 days served. He was also sentenced to two years of probation and was fined $1,500.
The plea agreement requires him to comply with regular inspections of his farm. Byler declined an opportunity to offer a statement before his sentence was handed down.
A pregnant Percheron and two lambs were among the animals found dead in January 2023 on Byler’s farm, state police at Rockview wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. Byler, police wrote, said he “probably did not do right” by his horse.
The farm lacked sufficient food, water and shelter for the animals, including cows, a donkey, Rottweilers and other horses. The only food available for the animals during a police search was a 20-pound bag of corn and a hay bale.
Byler, police wrote, “did not understand the care necessary to take care of the animals, especially in poor weather conditions.” The animals were abandoned for three weeks while Byler was in Florida for “health reasons,” police wrote.
Defense lawyer Wayne Bradburn told Oliver nearly all of Byler’s animals have been removed from the farm. He has a carriage horse, but no others.
He pleaded guilty in February to seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Fourteen charges were dropped.