Horse sanctuary calls for Animal Abuse case to be heard

Most of the neglected animals rescued from Blue Star Thoroughbred Breeding Farm are recovering, but at an extremely high price to the volunteers who took them in.

On January 2, 2020, the New York State Police seized 38 neglected horses and other animals from Blue Star Thoroughbred Breeding Farm in Columbia County, New York after receiving numerous complaints about animal cruelty. The New York State Police were assisted by Godspeed Hostel & Horse Rescue, a non-profit 501c3 organization located in Dutchess County to safely remove all the animals.

Blue Star Farm owner Andrea Nussinow, 57, was charged March 17 with 35 counts of animal neglect by the New York State Police. The District Attorney’s Office in Columbia County participated in the investigation leading to Nussinow’s arrest. The 35 charges against Nussinow included “torture, injuring, and starving the animals” according to the police arrest record.

To date, tens of thousands of dollars has been spent by Godspeed for the treatment and boarding of the rescued horses, according to Mia Genovesi the owner of the horse rescue that took the animals in. Sadly, six animals were so severely neglected they needed to be humanely euthanized.

Since the animals were seized and removed from Blue Star Farm, Godspeed has incurred all the costs, including labor, food, maintenance, and medical expenses.

According to New York’s Agriculture and Markets Law Article 373, Section 6, the owner of the animals can be ordered to post a security bond in an amount sufficient to secure payment for all reasonable expenses expected to be incurred by the impounding organization in caring and providing for the animal pending disposition of the charges, but so far this hasn’t happened.

Columbia Greene Media reported: “We need the District Attorney’s Office to make this a priority,” Genovesi said. “We’re paying for all these animals. Godspeed is a not-for-profit, and we do not receive any state funding. We must raise every nickel and dime that is going into these animals over the past four months. I just can’t imagine that in these times, that the case should not get immediate attention. It should get it anyway. We’re holding live evidence”.

36,837 Supporters of " STOP the Animal neglect in Columbia County, N.Y." are urging Paul Czajka, District Attorney, and James Carlucci, Assistant District Attorney of Columbia County, New York to ask the Court to expedite the security bond hearing to care for the neglected animals. 

When the New York State Police and the District Attorney’s Office needed help to save the animals, Godspeed stepped up, now it’s time for the New York State Police, Paul Czajka, DA and James Carlucci, ADA to ask the Court to schedule an urgent security bond hearing for expenses incurred caring for these same animals.

By way of background, Nussinow was previously arrested on 7/4/17 and charged with 11 counts of Animal Cruelty for "failing to provide adequate sustenance" to dozens of horses. On 12/19/17 Paul Czajka, District Attorney empaneled a Grand Jury to hear the case, but an inexperienced assistant prosecutor failed to obtain an indictment. Not surprising, after the prosecution only presented 4 of the 11 counts of Animal Cruelty to the Grand Jury, and numerous witnesses and evidence for the prosecution were not presented. The People of Columbia County do not want another “botched” prosecution in this current Animal Cruelty case against Nussinow. The People request James Carlucci, ADA assigned to this Animal Cruelty case to thoroughly investigate and fully prosecute this most recent Animal Cruelty case against Nussinow, and to request the Court to schedule an immediate security bond hearing for the care of these animals.

If you want to help, please contact Paul Czajka, District Attorney of Columbia County at 518-828-3414 and respectively ask the District Attorney’s Office to urge the Court to schedule a security bond hearing as soon as possible. Thank you.