A pair of New Mexico State University employees face 100 counts of animal cruelty charges after authorities found 118 animals in their Mesilla home.

Investigators have said the animals were found after Mesilla marshal's deputies responded to the home in the 1700 block of Bilbo Lane about a report of a dead horse. They found 102 cats, five horses, a pair of goats, a peacock and other animals.  Four dead cats were found in a freezer.

     (Photo's courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News)  Lester Boyse age 58, and Carol Boyse age 57, each face 52 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and 55 felony counts of extreme cruelty to animals.

Each misdemeanor count carries a possible maximum penalty of 364 days in jail. Each felony charge carries a maximum of 18 months in prison.

  (Photo courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News - photo of both Boyse's in handcuffs and escorted by Mesilla Marshalls)  The NMSU directory lists Carol Boyse as the department head for library systems. Lester Boyse is in the agronomy and horticulture department.

Mesilla town ordinance allows ownership of up to two animals without a permit, Vega said.

The surviving animals were taken to the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley for evaluation. The dead horses were taken to Albuquerque where a necropsy was to be performed.

The animal services center issued an emergency plea for foster homes to provide care for some of the animals.

"This is a very bad one," animal services director Beth Vesco-Mock said. "I've been seeing hoarding cases since 1995 when I was in Ohio, and this is a very bad one."

Vesco-Mock spent most of the day examining the 100 or so cats and euthanizing many of them. By the afternoon only four of about 50 that had been evaluated were saved.  "Some of them are fantastic animals, but they were very, very ill," she said.

The cats that were euthanized had a variety of ailments that ranged from upper respiratory infections, to blindness and extreme matting of the fur caused by fecal matter.  The horses appeared malnourished and their hooves had not been trimmed.

The seized animals have put a strain on the animal services center, which has been taking in an average of 1,500 animals a month.

"The general public needs to realize that having pets is a luxury," Vesco-Mock said.

Update 8/28/08:  Charges were filed against a Mesilla couple suspected of hoarding 118 animals in their home, which one of the suspects reportedly described as a "cat sanctuary."

Carol, 57, and Lester Boyse, 58, face 51 combined counts. Carol Boyse was charged with 19 fourth-degree felony counts of extreme cruelty to animals and 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Lester Boyse was charged with 15 felonies and seven misdemeanors.

"There will almost undoubtedly be more charges added," said Susan Riedel, Doña Ana County chief deputy district attorney.

The two were arrested and booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center. Bonds were set at $50,000 each.

A criminal complaint filed in support of the arrest warrants described an unsanitary scene inside the couple's Bilbo Lane home when investigators arrived on Aug. 21.

A report of a dead horse first led authorities to the home. A total of five horses, two of which were dead, were found on the property.

Inside, about 101 cats were found in addition to five horses, a pair of goats, a peacock and other animals.

The rooms were described in court documents as being laden with cat hair. The living room had chain-link fencing dividing it from the rest of the house. Inside the fencing were tote and cat boxes that made up an apparent kennel.

Four dead cats were found in a freezer.

All but seven of the cats were healthy enough to be saved by staff at the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley. The rest had a variety of ailments, including upper respiratory infections, mouth ulcers, fight wounds and matted hair so severe that the cats were no longer able to clean themselves.

Carol Boyse , according to court records, explained she had been giving medication to the cats, some of which had been trapped outside the home as she attempted to find them homes.

The three horses found alive were to be placed in foster care. The condition of the hooves will make them what Mesilla Marshal Angelo Vega has called "high-maintenance" because of the amount of care they will require.

Court records state Boyse told investigators she had not been able to care for the horses because of her medical condition. She added that she could not get to the dead horses to dispose of them because of mud on the property.

"I was very pleased with the investigation," Vega said this week. "Being that the Mesilla Marshal's Office has never experienced such an extreme cruelty and neglect case."

Vega called the investigation a "learning experience," and thanked the assistance of the Doña Ana Sheriff's Department and animal control investigators.

Update 8/29/08:  Carol and Lester Boyse each posted $50,000 bond and were released from the Dona Ana County Detention Center, hours after they were charged with dozens of counts of felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Update 11/3/08:  The Boyse's have been indicted on more than 100 counts of animal cruelty.

Each face 52 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and 55 felony counts of extreme cruelty to animals.  Each misdemeanor count carries a possible maximum penalty of 364 days in jail. Each felony charge carries a maximum of 18 months in prison.

A Doña Ana County grand jury handed up the indictments Thursday.

The Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley said only seven of the cats were healthy enough to be saved. The rest had a variety of ailments, including upper respiratory infections, mouth ulcers and fight wounds and were euthanized.

Three horses were placed in foster care.

Reference:

Las Cruces Sun-News

The Mercury News