Animal Cruelty Charges Against Angel's Gate Owner Might be Dropped

11/8/2012 (Updated 11/9/2012 12:08:17 AM)

Animal cruely charges against Angel's Gate shelter owner Susan Marino could be dismissed in six months time, according to assistant Broome County District Attorney Josh Shapiro.

Shapiro says his office has agreed to  drop the 22 counts of animal cruelty, if Marino abides by a judge's order that she not own any animals for the next six months. A local member of P.E.T.A, the group whose undercover investigation led to the charges against Marino, says he thinks she should never be allowed to own animals again:

"We feel as do many people no animal should ever again find themselves in susan marino's abusive hands, let alone an animal whose gaping wounds or debilitating illnesses put them on death's door," said Dan Paden, a Senior Researcher at P.E.T.A.

The animals at the Angel's Gate hospice and rehabilitation center in Delhi had been removed some time ago, after authorities began investigating conditions there.

Still pending are civil charges against the shelter itself, for alleged financial irregularities. We contacted angel's gate for comment today. The organization said it would refer our request to it's attorney. We have not yet heard back.