The county took the horses in 2016 during an animal-cruelty investigation. Fulton says the county never returned them or paid him for their value. The criminal charges against him were dismissed in 2018. He says the horses had been appraised at about $350,000 before the seizure.

Fulton sued the county in 2020. The legal question now before the full 11th Circuit is whether he can pursue a federal claim for compensation under the Constitution’s Takings Clause, which generally requires governments to pay when they take private property for public use. The case has drawn attention beyond Fulton’s dispute because the court’s ruling could set binding precedent in Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

The case follows a divided decision by a three-judge panel in 2025. The county, along with Georgia, Florida, Alabama and the federal government, has urged the court to rule against Fulton. The dispute includes whether property owners must first seek compensation through state-law procedures before bringing a federal claim.

Fulton, who keeps a ranch in Camp Creek and is known locally as the “Urban Cowboy,” has argued that he should be able to seek payment directly in federal court. The judges’ decision could clarify what legal avenues are available to people whose property is taken by government agencies—and what steps they must take to obtain compensation.