Update: Dogs likely went without food for days before Precinct Street warrant
Officials on the scene at 53 Precinct St., where 17 dogs were found living in what was described as filth. Photo by Sandy Quadros Bowles
Officials on the scene at 53 Precinct St., where 17 dogs were found living in what was described as filth. Photo by Sandy Quadros Bowles
MIDDLEBORO — The 17 dogs located at 53 Precinct St. had likely gone without food since Tuesday, Oct. 15, Animal Control Officer Kevin Racicot said.
That was three days before they were found when Middleboro Animal Control executed a warrant on the property Friday, Oct. 18 as part of an animal welfare investigation
The dogs were housed in cages and kennels filled with urine and feces, Racicot said at a press conference Friday afternoon. He reported that some of the dogs were emaciated, he said.
“This is the worst’’ situation he has encountered in his two years on the job, Racicot said. “The filth, the smell … It was gross.’’
The Middleboro Health Department, Animal Control, Police and Fire departments responded to the home at about 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18 related to an animal welfare investigation, Town Manager Jay McGrail said.
The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or MSPCA, at the same time issued a separate criminal warrant for horses on the property.
The town investigation was sparked by anonymous complaints, McGrail said.
As a result of the warrant being executed, 17 dogs were located, as well as two cats, a turtle, and a guinea pig. One of the dogs was immediately removed by animal control to care for urgent medical needs, McGrail said.
No information was immediately available on the number of horses found and their condition and current location.
The dogs were not registered, had no access to food or water and lived in filth, according to McGrail and Board of Health Agent Kayla Smith.
The town is working with other agencies, including Wareham Animal Control, to remove the remaining animals.
Representatives from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have offered to take in the animals to keep them together, McGrail said.
The house where the animals were found was condemned by the health and fire departments. It was not immediately known if anyone was living there.
Hoarding conditions prompted the fire department to take that action, Fire Chief Owen Thompson said
“Large piles of trash’’ throughout the home made navigation inside the residence difficult, the chief said. These trash piles can topple over, trapping people beneath, he said.
“Hoarding conditions have to be taken very seriously,’’ Thompson said.
The home also lacked the “full extent’’ of working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, Thompson said.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case yet, McGrail said, but an investigation is ongoing.
The property is owned by Frank and Susan Savino, according to property records. The home is appraised at $960,000.
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