Hoarding 74 animals, child neglect - Southbridge, MA

Thursday, Mar 6, 2008

County: Worcester

Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Linda Ireland

Three children remained in state custody yesterday, despite a Lens Court resident's compliance with a cleanup order and town authorities' removal of most of her 74 animals, officials said.

The Department of Social Services hadn't returned the children as of yesterday because of Linda Ireland's apparent insistence on living among animals, Fire Lt. James W. Philbrook, the town's health inspector, said yesterday.

DSS on March 6 took custody of the 11 Lens Court resident's 2-year-old grandson, 4-year-old granddaughter and 15-year-old daughter. Mrs. Ireland has grown children living elsewhere.

Animal Control Officer Kathleen E. Shields said nearly all of the birds and ferrets found in the home were taken to rescue shelters.

Mrs. Ireland was allowed to keep two of each, and about 10 dogs, many of whom are elderly and have cancers and would have to be euthanized. A poodle was given to a Connecticut resident, the control officer said.

A DSS spokesman did not reply to interview requests this week, but Lt. Philbrook said DSS officials had returned to check on the home's status. They witnessed one of the dogs urinating on the floor.

During the initial March 6 inspection - based on a deliveryman's tip - police and health officials allegedly found animal feces, urine and birdseed on the floors. They also saw an open soiled diaper. There were no clean diapers in the house, said Lt. Philbrook, who showed a reporter photographs.

The animals were mostly caged birds, ferrets and dogs. The home was so cluttered officials overlooked a caged rabbit when they were seizing animals, Lt. Philbrook said.

Mrs. Ireland, who walks with the assistance of forearm crutches, denied there was feces on the floors, but admitted she had spilled birdseed.

"I hadn't been upstairs, and that is where the diapers were," she said in an e-mail. "My daughter's room with the 14 ferrets was not cleaned. It was due to be that day."

She said the urine probably was from the younger children's bedwetting on sheets that are washed daily; there were problems with her machine, the e-mail said.

Mrs. Ireland, who said she's lived with animals most of her life, denied having 74 animals. It was more like 50, she said, mostly the caged birds in a closed-off room.

Asked why she continued to live with animals if that prevented the children's return, she said, "There is no reason to deprive the kids of knowing what it is like to keep pets."

Authorities on March 7 told Mrs. Ireland to clean the house and arranged for the town's trash hauler to send a special truck. The house was declared fit for habitation after a March 13 re-inspection, Lt. Philbrook said.

Officer Shields described Mrs. Ireland as an animal hoarder, meaning she cared for animals but was unable to relinquish them.

"It started as a good thing, but she got overwhelmed," he said.

Mrs. Ireland strongly denied the characterization and said she is a retired animal boarder.

Authorities seized Mrs. Ireland's dog kennel license.

Mrs. Ireland said she was "lied to" because she was told the children would be returned to her after she cleaned up the house and relinquished most of the pets.

In an unrelated matter, Lt. Philbrook said that within the past year Mrs. Ireland's neighbors had complained about her not maintaining her yard, and he cited her for that.

References

• « MA State Animal Cruelty Map
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