A Pinehurst man was charged with six counts of cruelty to animals Monday regarding alleged treatment of horses and pigs.

Deputy John Hirst, along with Cathy Lininger of the Shoshone Humane Society, visited the property of David Griffin after receiving reports of neglected animals.

Lininger said she's received "one complaint after another."

"They're in squalor ... and I'm sick and tired of this nonsense," she said.

At the time of the visit, Lininger said, there was no hay on the premises. Griffin had been reportedly feeding the animals bread. They'd also been eating tree bark, she said.

"They're in very, very poor condition," she said.

Griffin said he was contacted about a month ago after complaints, which led him to change the animals' food. Since then, he said, he's been trying to put weight on the horses.

"I hope the horses will get back to normal and the whole thing's over with," he said.

The animals are still in his possession.

Activists are circulating a petition to make animal cruelty a felony in the state of Idaho - besides North and South Dakota, Idaho is the only state with misdemeanor penalties.

Lininger said animal abusers currently get "a slap on the hand" when caught, and the petition would help put a stop to their behavior.