Man Accused Of Abandoning Livestock To Die Pleads No Contest

MOUNT PLEASANT (AP) - A central Michigan man accused of abandoning livestock to die has pleaded no contest in a plea deal with prosecutors.

The charges against Russell Bennett were changed to attempted animal abandonment and improper burial. He'll be sentenced in a Mount Pleasant courtroom on Sept. 18.

Authorities said they found many dead animals last winter in Isabella County's Rolland Township, including a mule, cows, 25 sheep and 20 chickens.

The Morning Sun, quoting court records, says the 50-year-old Bennett told police that he didn't have time to bury the animals because he was a working student.

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