Creswell, Ore – A woman convicted for her role in the notorious 2019 horse neglect case involving Gwenyth Davies, is facing new charges for allegedly violating numerous terms of her probation– all despite having been found in violation of probation twice previously and serving 45 days in jail.
Raina McKenzie Ott, 24, who has a lengthy history of issues stemming from her legal is alleged by Senior Assistant Attorney General Jacob Kamins of violating her probation terms, including:
- failing to pay fees, fines, and restitution;
- possessing and selling of a cow;
- failing to complete an animal rehab course;
- not removing social media posts, pages, and websites relating to animals;
- purchasing, breading, and boarding of animals;
- and operating or advising an animal-related business.
Davies is also currently wanted on a warrant for alleged violations of her probation but has been avoiding authorities for over half a year. It had been rumored Davies had left the State and been involved in a horse operation in Northern California. However, Equestrian Media Group could not confirm the accuracy of the rumors.
Following the latest allegations against Ott, an arrest warrant was issued, resulting in her arrest and release on February 6th. She then appeared at her arraignment on February 15th, denying the allegations of probation violations.
Ott’s case was then scheduled for a mini-trial hearing on March 11th, 2024 at 10 am, at the Lane County Circuit Court.
Kamin’s assignment to the case is on behalf of the Lane County District Attorney. The role of the State’s Animal Abuse Resource Prosecutor was recently made a more formal position at the Oregon Department of Justice following the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 5506 last year, a position having previously been titled the Animal Cruelty Deputy District Attorney.
The role involves support for law enforcement and district attorneys across the State of Oregon, both in a direct and indirect capacity, on criminal cases.
In 2020, Ott was initially offered a deferred sentencing agreement following a plea deal with the Lane County District Attorney’s Office but ultimately failed to attend the deferred sentencing hearing two years later in November of 2022, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant.
Ott was arrested shortly after and released with an order to appear at later hearings. According to court records, her mother, Erica Ott, received probation and has also engaged in similar probation violations.
Equestrian Media Group had also uncovered and previously reported that Ott was also offering to provide interstate transport of horses and also leave the State in violation of her probation violation.
In January of 2023, Ott was ultimately found to have not complied with the provisions of her deferred sentencing agreement, resulting in a formal sentence of jail time and probation. However, Judge Curtis Conover permitted in his ruling for Lane County Jail officials to allow– at their discretion– alternative work crew service instead of actual time in jail.
Two months later, Ott was charged for promptly skipping out and not reporting to the alternative work crew duty shifts, resulting in the issuance of another warrant.
Weeks later, in April of 2023, despite having an active warrant for her arrest, Ott made allegations against this reporter and Equestrian Media Group to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, falsely claiming acts of trespass for five consecutive days, which prompted a quick response by police to the property where this reporter was interviewing with an elderly neighbor of Ott about her concerns and interactions.
The response later led to a complaint by Equestrian Media Group against LCSO Deputy Bradly May after illegally detaining and attempting to prevent a consensual interview with a neighbor of Ott and to force this reporter to leave the public highway for filming.
Ott was not arrested at the time despite being pictured on the property minutes earlier. According to police records, she allegedly told Deputy May she was nearly 30 minutes away to avoid being arrested on the warrant at that time.
Ott was arrested a couple of days after the incident and promptly released again.
In May of 2023, Ott was again sentenced to 45 days in jail, but this time, a different judge, Judge Debra Vogt, did not allow the Lane County Jail officials to permit alternative service on the sentence.
In August of 2023, weeks after Ott was released after serving over a month in the Lane County Jail, she was trespassed by a Coastal Farm & Ranch Store in Eugene for alleged fraud. Company officials confirmed to Equestrian Media Group that the trespass was due not to her past legal issues but from matters directly between Ott and the store.
A source who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, as they were an employee of the store, later told Equestrian Media Group that Ott was buying baby chickens and other animal care products but was attempting to modify barcodes to adjust the pricing.
No criminal charges have been brought against Ott over the alleged incidents.
Elizabeth Brooks, a woman who purchased a cow last year from the Otts, filed a civil lawsuit last month alleging the duo defrauded her by selling a sick cow that ultimately had to be put down a week later despite medical interventions.
“The cow was not producing 4 gallons per day as described by the defendant,” read the legal complaint, which also referred to Ott’s probation.
“The defendant used the alias “Hailey Saxton” to sell the dairy cow to avoid conditions of her bench probation which prohibit her from being in possession or sale of livestock.”
Brooks also confirmed to Equestrian Media Group that she ultimately learned more about Ott, piecing together various aliases and details about her conviction for animal neglect, thanks to this publication’s reporting.
“Your reporting helped me put this whole thing together– so thank you for that,” Brooks said.
Brooks also revealed that she reported her situation to prosecutors and believed that was part of what ultimately led to at least some of the alleged probation violations. Brooks also explained that she had spoken to other alleged victims of the Otts.
In recent days, another alleged victim in Douglas County (whom Brooks did not know), Denise Peterson, detailed her own horrific experiences with Ott on social media posts. They also went on to detail multiple other aliases used by Ott. Peterson explained a cow she purchased from Ott is currently getting lifesaving treatment with the help of Baileys Veterinarian Clinic located in Roseburg.
The aliases also matched those provided by Brooks, including Hailey Saxton, Hayden Durfey, and Raina McKenzie (the latter being a use of her middle name).
Brooks also explained that she has suggested contacting the Lane County District Attorney’s office to other victims.
Ott is back in Lane County Circuit Court on March 11th at 10 am.
This is a developing story that we will continue to keep you updated on. If you believe you may have been a victim of Ott, Equestrian Media Group would like to speak with you.
