A Minnesota horse breeder is facing more than 30 animal cruelty charges for allegedly maltreating animals on his Anoka County farm.

Keith Streff, senior humane investigator for the Animal Humane Society, said that last year humane and law enforcement personnel began investigating conditions at the NV Arabian Horse Ranch in East Bethel after receiving a complaint alleging maltreatment of the horses residing there.

In August agency personnel along with the Anoka County Sheriff’s Department and a veterinarian removed 10 of the 64 horses residing at the ranch. Another seven animals were removed from the property in November, Streff said. All the removed animals were allegedly malnourished and living in filthy, hazardous conditions, Streff said.

"All the removed horses had body condition scores of 3 or less," Streff said. "Most scored 1 and 2 (on the Henneke Body Condition scale)