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Horse farm owner denies 114 new cruelty charges

Published:July 15, 2010, 6:51 AM

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Updated: August 21, 2010, 7:13 AM

The Aurora horse farm owner now facing 124 counts of animal cruelty says her Morgan horse business has been ruined by the fallout from the SPCA’s investigation of her alleged neglect of her animals.

Beth Lynne Hoskins again maintained her innocence Wednesday during her arraignment in Aurora Town Court, pleading not guilty to 114 additional animal cruelty counts that were filed against her this week. She faces a count for every horse that was seized by the agency in March, along with 51 cats.

The latest charges are on top of 10 counts filed against her earlier in the investigation.

“Our business is ruined,” said Hoskins outside the courtroom. “There’s been nothing humane about this.”

Hoskins accused the SPCA of not properly treating some of her horses that last week were ordered returned to her. She said some of the 40 she now has back on her farm have cuts and were dirty when she picked them up.

“The horses were kept in facilities that were not up to par. There’s a lot of injuries on the horses,” Hoskins said. “We’re seeing some evidence of abuse. Some of them are afraid of having the water hose near them. Some of the injuries are very severe.”

Responding to the accusations, SPCA investigator Lindsey M. Styborski said Hoskins “has every right to say what she wants, and the SPCA is ready and cannot wait to go to trial, so the evidence can come out.”

Investigators who seized the animals said they were caked in their own feces, standing on mounds of packed feces that were two to three feet high in their stalls. Some lacked adequate food and water, they said, and many had hoof problems. Others, the agency said, had not been out of their stalls, regularly handled or exercised outside.

“They should have left the horses. There was nothing wrong with the horses that couldn’t have been resolved,” said George V. C. Muscato, one of Hoskins’ attorneys. “She’s not guilty of any crimes at all.”

Town Justice Douglas W. Marky ordered that Hoskins be booked on all of the charges at the East Aurora Police Department by the end of today.

Marky allowed her to remain free on her own recognizance and declined a request by the District Attorney’s Office to set a “reasonable” amount of bail.

The next hearing before Marky is Aug. 18.

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