A federal lawsuit filed against the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been withdrawn by Monica Thors, 55, of Mullica Hill.
A South Jersey horse trainer, photographer and cinematographer has withdrawn a federal lawsuit she filed against the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
In June, Monica Thors, 55, of Mullica Hill, filed the federal suit after being told motions in two lawsuits in Gloucester County Superior Court would be decided without oral argument. Oral arguments have since been scheduled for Feb. 17 before Superior Court Judge Anne McDonnell.
Thors was indicted on nine counts of animal cruelty six months after officers from the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals seized several horses and a goat from a South Harrison Township farm where she was filming a documentary about the care of harness racing horses. The project, started in 2011, has yet to be completed.
Thors is charged with third-degree animal cruelty the deaths of four horses that had to be euthanized: According To Prince, a 7-year-old standardbred stallion; According To Hoyle, a 14-year-old standardbred stallion; Aspiration, a 7-year-old standardbred mare; and Princess Grey, a 13-year-old standardbred mare. All of the horses were allegedly overweight and suffered from chronic laminitis.
Thors also faces five counts of fourth-degree animal charges for allegedly "causing serious bodily injury, also by failure to provide care" to four more horses and a goat, all of which were also said to be overweight and suffering from hoof problems.
She has pleaded not guilty to the animal cruelty charges in Gloucester County Superior Court and has denied any wrongdoing. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 4 at which time a motion on suppression of evidence is expected to be heard.
Meanwhile, the pending motions pertain to two civil suits. Thors filed a suit against the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and several individuals shortly after her animals were removed. She claims the seizure of her animals was pre-planned and illegal, adding she is the victim of a conspiracy.
She has said health records prove that her horses and goat were not abused. She also accused the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and certain individuals of intentionally starving her horses, and making them sick. She claims more would have been dead by now if not for a March court order preventing euthanasia of the animals without input from a veterinarian of Thors choosing.
Thors claims she has filed "severe animal cruelty and murder charges and attempted murder charges," against the NJSPCA et al, both in the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office and in the state Attorney General's office in Trenton. Representatives of the prosecutor's office have stated it has not opened any investigation into the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals regarding Thor's animals.
The second suit regards Thors' eviction from the farm where she kept the horses. According to various documents submitted to the court, Thors entered into an agreement with a couple that owns the farm. Under the agreement, Thors paid for the construction of a modular barn and other improvements. Instead of paying monthly stall rent, she was getting credit based on the cost of construction. She did pay fees for using the jogging track on the farm. Thors claims the agreement is good for 99 years, although a copy submitted to the courts does not show how long the agreement last.
The farm owners, Richard and Grace Allen, have been trying to evict Thors, who claims that the agreement does not allow the Allens to evict her for any reason. The agreement also allegedly says no lawsuits can be filed for any reason. Thors filed suit against the Allens in 2013.
On April 1, 2015 the court ordered Thors to vacate the premises by April 30, 2015. Although she has no horses there, she told the court she goes there everyday to maintain the barn and feed several cats that live there.
Thors then filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy on April 24, 2015. Bankruptcy filings typically come with automatic stays on proceedings like evictions. The state Superior Court later vacated the April 1 order so Thors could have more time to seek further review.
In her motion, Thors claims that the Allens have violated the automatic stay in bankruptcy proceedings by refusing to accept her track rent payments, then seeking to lift the stay for non-payment of rent. Thors accuses the Allens of causing her emotional distress, which contributed to her recent illness and led to hospitalization in early December. Thors is seeking monetary damages for "willful misconduct causing emotional distress."
In an objection to that motion, the Allen's attorney, Travis Richards, has argued that effectively Thors rejected the lease and that the Allen's refusing to accept money from Thors in no way harms her nor violates the automatic stay. He also wrote that the amount of money owed to the Allens is undetermined because of the ambiguity of the original agreement.
A hearing on that motion is now scheduled for Feb. 9.
