Axel Hinz-Schleuter and Dale Huber were to appear in court April 21 to face the charges of allowing animals to be in distress and failing to provide duties of care filed by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. the Edmonton Sun reported Thursday.

The SPCA raided a farm northwest of Edmonton on Feb. 26 in response to a complaint, and found 27 dead horses and 100 others emaciated from hunger, the charges allege. Three of the living horses died after being rescued, the Sun said.

The SPCA also seized 40 rabbits, 13 chickens, seven sheep and five goats from the property, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., said.

Morris Airey, director of animal protection services for the SPCA, told the Sun that Hinz-Schleuter was convicted on a similar charge in 2005 and was fined $1,000 but the agency wasn't legally allowed to monitor him.

Tuesday, the agency approved a request by another rancher to nurse the horses to health before they can be auctioned off, the Edmonton Journal said.