Investigators from the SPCA Serviing Erie County have charged the owner of a Town of Aurora horse farm with 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after the agency removed 73 horses, 53 cats and four dogs from Eden Farms on Emery Road in March.
Investigators disclosed the charges Saturday and said they were tied to neglect and care of seven horses and three cats. The charges, which fall under the state Agriculture and Markets Law, were filed against Beth Hoskins, who faces arraignment on the counts May 26 in Aurora Town Court.
“They’re definitely some very serious charges. Each animal is a life,” said Jeff Eyre, northeast director of field investigations and responses for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Eyre has assisted the SPCA Serving Erie County with the sheltering, management and care of more than 70 horses.
Hoskins’ attorney on Saturday maintained his client’s innocence.
“She believes the animals were properly cared for and she’s absolutely innocent,” said her attorney, Barry Covert. He declined to comment further until he reviews the charges.
This is why I will never be an attorney. That's what you guys ALWAYS say. "She didn't know any better. She didn't mean to harm the animals." You can't accidentally starve 73 horses. It doesn't matter what she believes. It matters what actually happened. We don't let murderers off because they believed they were doing the right thing in shooting someone.
Each count could carry a $1,000 fine and/or one year in jail, said Gina Browning, public relations director for the SPCA.
Dozens of the mostly Morgan-type horses that were seized in March were recently taken to foster “horse farms” in the area. Investigators have termed it the biggest local roundup of large animals in decades. Eyre said the horses are doing well in each of their foster locations.
So far, the total cost stemming from the case and care of the animals has exceeded $110,000, Browning said. “It’s the largest animal case we’ve been involved in and also with the most extreme level of community support.”
“Nobody ever forgot about this,” she said. “This is an expensive case, and the community has backed us up.”
Investigators selected the animals that were in the “worst” shape and required the most care in assessing evidence before levying the charges, Browning said.
“Some of the horses have gained a tremendous amount of weight. All of them are now able to be handled by people who know horses,” Eyre said. “That is huge from when we first started working with these guys.”
Browning said work on a civil case involving Hoskins is still ongoing.
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