Hoarding - 30 dogs seized
Deerfield, NH (US)Incident Date: Friday, Sep 17, 2010
County: Rockingham
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: George Ditson
Thirty dogs have been rescued from a Brown Road home that an investigating police officer described as "not a liveable condition for people or animals."
George Ditson, 61, of 4 Brown Road, has been charged with 15 counts of animal cruelty and is scheduled for arraignment in Candia District Court on Oct. 18.
Deerfield police officer Mike Lavoie said someone looking for a lost dog saw a group of four or five dogs inside cages underneath a tarp-covered carport on Diston's property. Police executed a search warrant Sept. 17.
Twenty-nine dogs are purebred Dachshunds and one is a Pomeranian. All of the dogs were voluntarily given up and some could be ready for adoption as early as Friday, officials said.
Lavoie said between 10 and 15 dogs were found in a camper on the property while the remaining were found inside Ditson's house.
"The animals didn't appear to have access to the outside to use the bathroom," Lavoie said. "We feel it's not a liveable condition for people or animals."
"The whole place was covered with animal waste and fleas," said Steve Sprowl of the New Hampshire Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (NHSPCA).
Ditson is officially charged with animal cruelty but was issued a court summons and not taken into custody. He is free on personal recognizance.
Police said Ditson lives at the home with his son, Dan Ditson, 34. The son has not been charged, but police confirmed they are investigating further to see if he should be.
An NHSPCA statement said the dogs were "infested" with fleas and each one had to be treated for flea bites and parasites. One female gave birth to a litter of puppies and only one survived.
Some of the dogs have been spayed or neutered and had a microchip attached to them. Those are the ones that are likely ready for adoption.
NHSPCA said the dogs are generally of good nature but were not socialized, meaning they have to be leash trained and housebroken.
"They would not be recommended to be in a home with small children," NHSPCA said in a statement.
However, the group said there is hope for the dogs. Many of them would benefit if adopted by a family that already has a socially confident, stable dog.
It's unclear why Ditson had so many dogs.
"He wasn't extremely forthcoming with information," Lavoie said. "When I served him with the arrest warrant, he did not appear upset. He was eager to try to help and get the dogs adopted."
Lavoie said there is nothing in Ditson's bail conditions prohibiting him from keeping animals on the property, but said police would likely intervene if he did so.
"If the current living conditions are unchanged, we'd be inclined to take any animals they would have," Lavoie said.
Located in Stratham, NHSPCA is caring for 70 dogs and "literally hundreds of cats," according to a statement. The agency accepts tax-deductible donations.
For more information on the agency or how to adopt, visit nhspca.org or call 772-2921. References |
