40 horses returned to owner
Updated: Tuesday, 06 Jul 2010, 10:30 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 06 Jul 2010, 10:25 PM EDT
* Mylous Hairston
* Posted by: Kellie Mazur
AURORA, N.Y. (WIVB) - The SPCA is returning dozens of horses the agency seized from a town of Aurora farm, because of improper conditions.
Beth Hoskins is getting 40 of her horses back. News 4 spoke with her at her farm late Tuesday afternoon.
Hoskins said, "Not having the animals here, particularly the horses, has been an interruption of my life."
That interruption Hoskins is talking about started on March 18th. That's when the SPCA seized 73 horses along with more than 50 cats and dogs from her 50 acre farm in the Town of Aurora. The SPCA claims the animals were not properly cared for.
Just last week the SPCA released pictures of the horses and conditions it claims were not suitable.
"The horses were in transition. It was springtime. We were right at thaw. There's often extremely unsightly conditions from matted hair that is shedding," stated Hoskins.
Barbara Carr of the SPCA added "I'm concerned about the animals. I'm concerned about her ability to take care of the animals. I understand she's hired three part-time help to take care of 40 horses. It takes us ten people to take care of 40 horses."
Hoskins adds about 1/3 of her 73 horses were 20 years of age or older.
Hoskins said, "Depending on each individual condition. Whether they have all their teeth. They can deteriorate rather rapidly."
Beth Hoskins tells News 4 she's hiring additional help and hopes to have the horses back on her farm Thursday morning.
And she may learn Monday if she will get the rest of the morgan horses back.
Meanwhile, the SPCA plans to file 114 additional animal cruelty charges against Hoskins in the criminal matter.
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/4...urned-to-owner