Elsie Lee Smith, owner of the 40 malnourished horses seized from her property last week, pleaded not guilty to charges of alleged animal neglect and obstructing a peace officer on Friday.

A pre-trial hearing is set for May 7 at 2 p.m.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office seized the 40 horses last week at Smith’s Myers Flat farm after receiving a complaint. The officers had a search warrant.

Smith can be held liable for costs related to the seizure and care of the horses as an administrative hearing Tuesday ruled the seizure legal.

Smith signed over 30 of the horses to the HCSO on Tuesday. Since the horses were seized with a search warrant, a judge is required to release the remaining 10 back to Smith’s custody.

The horses are being kept at three places: the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale, the Fortuna Rodeo Grounds and the sheriff’s farm in Rohnerville.

The Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office, along with Smith, requested that the court release custody of the horses.

Assistant District Attorney Wes Keat wrote in an e-mail that it was agreed that there is no reason to hold the horses as evidence, so the Sheriff’s Office could begin looking places outside county custody.

Smith’s attorney, Neal Sanders, said that once the horses are released, homes can be found for them.

“We’re hoping the court will do that,” he said.

Until homes are found for the horses, Sanders said that the county has to pay the cost for caring of the horses.

For that reason, everyone is working together to find a resolution.

The cost of caring for the horses is “the incentive that we all have” to find new homes for them, he said.

Co-founder of the Heart of the Redwoods Horse Rescue Sara Isaacson said that the county is charging $14 per day per horse ­— a total of $560 a day.

People interested in adopting the horses have called the Rescue. Interested parties could fill out information on their Web site, http://redwoodrescue.org.

“We’re keeping that database for the Sheriff’s (Office),” she said.

Smith requested that the 10 remaining horses be placed with certain individuals, Sanders said.

Although Smith can be held liable for the seizure and care of the horses, new homes could be found for them before any financial obligations are paid, he said.

The total cost is not known at this time.

“I suspect they’ll be substantial,” Sanders said.