by Eighty-four Great Danes were found sliding in their own feces when authorities began searching the premises of a suspected puppy mill in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire on June 16, 2017.
The large dogs, including several puppies, were living in filth and many in small kennels of a large home.
Wolfeboro Police Chief Dean Rondeau said, “I’ve never seen conditions this bad in more than 21 years of law enforcement. Words cannot describe the absolute abhorrent conditions these animals were living in. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to The Humane Society of the United States, Conway Area Humane Society and Pope Memorial SPCA, whose expert opinion and counsel was well-received, as well as the other local organizations who assisted at the scene.”
The search and seizure was the result of an investigation that was initiated around a month ago and police had previously dealt with the owner of the residence about noise complaints. But many of the officers that entered the home were alarmed by what they saw.
“I got choked up,” Tona Mccarthy of Pope Memorial SPCA said, “Being an animal lover that I am, it’s terrible to see someone treat animals so.”
The Humane Society of the United States assisted the Wolfeboro Police Department in the rescue of the dogs and helped evacuate the dogs to a temporary emergency animal shelter at an undisclosed location. They had to arrange for horse trailers to relocate some of the larger dogs.
The video below includes footage shot by the Humane Society of the United States on the scene. Note: the footage may be disturbing to some viewers.
The owner of the dogs, 60-year-old Christina Fay, is charged with two counts of animal neglect.
The dogs will be thoroughly examined by a team of veterinarians and receive any necessary medical treatment, which is expected to run into the tens of thousands of dollars. However, none of the dogs are currently available for foster or adoption because they are considered “evidence” in a criminal investigation. It could be several months before the criminal case is concluded at which time the dogs will be free to find forever homes.
Share this story with the dog lovers you know and support the animal welfare groups trying to put an end to such cruelty.
Yesterday our Animal Rescue Team rescued more than 80 Great Danes from a suspected puppy mill in New Hampshire. Your…
Posted by The Humane Society of the United States on Saturday, June 17, 2017
