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Puppy Mill - 30 dachshunds and other animals
Kingston, NH (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Mar 9, 2005
County: Rockingham
Disposition: Dismissed
Person of Interest: Danya Dufour
Case Updates: 11 update(s) available
The police are investigating an animal cruelty case involving more than 30 dachshunds and several other animals. Firefighters responding to a report of a possible oil burner fire earlier this month found the dachshunds, four cats, an iguana and a parrot living in unhealthy conditions.
Steve Sprowl, an investigator with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said the residents were running a puppy mill, selling the dogs on the Internet for more than $700 apiece.
The dogs were getting enough food but were not getting enough water and were sitting in their own waste in small pens.
Sprowl said he had to take one dog into protective custody because of a bite on its tail, and he later found bites all over its body. The dogs were fighting for dominance in the cramped space, he said.
To contact the prosecutor:
Jill Cook, Assistant County Attorney
Office of the Rockingham County Attorney
P.O. Box 1209
Kingston, NH 03848
Case UpdatesDufour and Jackson Rivera Cruz, 29, were arrested Sept 15 by Groveland police after authorities found 29 dogs covered in excrement and urine in their 103 Main St. home.
Judge Stephen Abany released Dufour on personal recognizance and ordered her not to have any pets in her care until the case against her is resolved.
Dufour was charged with cruelty to 29 dogs, two cats, one ferret and one iguana. She also was charged with possession of class D and E substances, possession of hypodermic syringes and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Cruz faces the same animal cruelty and drug charges, as well as possession of a dangerous weapon (a double-edged knife), giving a false name and false address to police, and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
To follow this new case against Dufour, click here. | Source: Eagle Tribune - Sept 19, 2006
Update posted on Oct 2, 2006 - 11:16AM |
Nearly a year after her arrest in April 2005, 13 charges of cruelty to animals against Danya Dufour of Kingston were dismissed on March 23.
Last April, Dufour turned herself into police after a warrant was issued for her arrest. Authorities began investigating when firefighters responded to her Granite Road home for an oil-burner malfunction. There they found 30 dachshunds, allegedly given little water, sharing cages and standing in their own feces and urine.
Dufour was allegedly selling dachshunds on her Web site, www.dufoursdachshunds.com, for approximately $700 each.
After her arrest, The Rockingham News received a stream of angry e-mails and phone calls from animal lovers and breeders around the country decrying the conditions in which the puppies were allegedly kept.
Dufour posted $2,500 bail and her trial had been repeatedly delayed until March 23 this year.
According to Plaistow District Court records, all 13 charges of cruelty to animals against her were dismissed. She was found guilty of two counts of failure to license dogs, and one count of criminal mischief, which carries a fine of $500 or 10 days' imprisonment, or both.
Dufour's sentence on the criminal mischief charge was suspended because of good behavior for a year and a year of no dog ownership in New Hampshire, the court said. | Source: Sea Coast Online - April 14, 2006
Update posted on Apr 17, 2006 - 6:51PM |
After almost a year of postponed hearings, the trial of a local woman who allegedly ran an illegal puppy mill from her home was continued again. The trial was scheduled for Dec. 30, 2005 in Plaistow District Court, but was continued for the seventh time since she was arrested last March 2005.
The trial is now scheduled for Feb. 23, 2006 in Plaistow. | Source: Seacoast Online - January 6, 2006
Update posted on Jan 6, 2006 - 10:56PM |
The trial was continued for the fifth time and a new date has not been scheduled as of deadline.
One of the conditions of the $2,500 personal recognizance bail was that she not sell animals from her home, according to Kingston Police Chief Donald Briggs, but she is allowed to continue operating her business elsewhere. | Source: Rockingham News - Oct 28, 2005
Update posted on Oct 31, 2005 - 12:19PM |
The trial for the woman charged with running an illegal puppy mill was continued for the fourth time and is now scheduled to take place on Oct. 20 at Plaistow District Court.
Danya Dufour, 32, of 4 Granite Road, was arrested in March on more than a dozen animal cruelty charges after firefighters responding to an oil-burner malfunction at her home discovered the alleged substandard living conditions of the animals.
The trial was originally scheduled for May, but was continued. It was subsequently continued in June, August and again on Sept. 22.
Dufour was charged with 13 counts of cruelty to animals, one count of failure to apply for a group-dog kennel license to operate her business, one count of failure to vaccinate the dogs and one count of failure to license the dogs.
Dufour was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail, with the condition she has no more than four dogs in her home without obtaining a kennel license.
State law classifies cruelty to animals in the first offense to be a misdemeanor and a second offense as a class B felony.
The dogs are being kept in a Massachusetts kennel and are being monitored by the state Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. | Source: Sea Coast Online - Sept 23, 2005
Update posted on Sep 23, 2005 - 2:56PM |
| The trial for Danya Dufour, 32, of Kingston, was set for Thursday morning at Plaistow District Court, but Assistant County Attorney Jill Cook said the trial was continued to a later date. | Source: Rockingham News - Aug 5, 2005
Update posted on Aug 7, 2005 - 2:48AM |
| Dufour's trial is to take place next Thursday at 8 a.m. at Plaistow District Court. | Source: Rockingham News - July 29, 2005
Update posted on Jul 29, 2005 - 1:47PM |
Dufour's May 9 hearing was continued and is scheduled for 8 a.m. on June 23 at Plaistow District Court.
Danya Dufour, 32, of 4 Granite Road, was charged in March with 13 counts of cruelty to animals, one count of failure to apply for a group-dog kennel license to operate her business, one count of failure to vaccinate the dogs and one count of failure to license the dogs.
She was released on $2,500 personal-recognizance bail. Condition of bail includes not having more than four dogs on the premises without obtaining a kennel license, and each dog in her care must be properly licensed and vaccinated.
State law classifies cruelty to animals in the first offense to be a misdemeanor and a second offense as a class B felony.
Police began investigating Dufour in March after firefighters responded to the Granite Road home for an oil-burner malfunction and discovered the alleged condition of the animals. There were 30 dachshunds, four cats, an iguana and a parrot living in the home. The dogs were allegedly given little water, sharing small cages and standing in their own feces and urine.
New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' cruelty investigator Steve Sprowl said Dufour was running a "puppy mill," which is defined as a breeding kennel that raises dogs in cramped, crude and filthy conditions. | Source: seacoastonline.com - May 13, 2005
Update posted on May 13, 2005 - 5:10PM |
| Besides animal cruelty, Dufour is also accused of operating a kennel without a license, failing to vaccinate 26 dogs and failing to register her dogs with the town. Dufour has been released on bail but she couldn't be reached for comment on Friday. Authorities have shut down her business and quarantined her house. | | Update posted on Apr 16, 2005 - 5:51AM |
Police arrested a local woman on charges of allegedly running a 'puppy mill' out of her rented Granite Road home this week. More than a dozen charges were filed Wednesday, including 13 counts of cruelty to animals.
Danya Dufour, 32, of 4 Granite Road turned herself in to police Wednesday morning after police issued a warrant for her arrest. Dufour was selling dachshunds on the Internet for about $700 each.
She was charged with 13 counts of cruelty to animals, one count of failure to apply for a group-dog kennel license to operate her business, one count of failure to vaccinate the dogs and one count of failure to license the dogs.
She was released on $2,500 personal recognizance bail. Condition of bail includes not having more than four dogs on the premises without obtaining a kennel license, and each dog in her care must be properly licensed and vaccinated.
State law classifies cruelty to animals in the first offense to be a misdemeanor and a second offense as a class B felony.
Police began investigating Dufour last month after firefighters responded to the Granite Road home for an oil-burner malfunction and discovered the condition of the animals. There were 30 dachshunds, four cats, an iguana and a parrot living in the home. The dogs were allegedly given little water, sharing small cages and standing in their own feces and urine.
New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cruelty investigator Steve Sprowl said Dufour was running a "puppy mill," which is defined as a breeding kennel that raises dogs in cramped, crude and filthy conditions.
Sprowl said firefighters reported dogs were sharing small pens with straw on the cellar floor.
On March 9 when authorities were called to the home for an animal cruelty investigation, Sprowl said he placed one dog into protective custody. The dog was bleeding from a bite mark on its tail, and Sprowl said he later found the dog had bite marks all over its body.
"I see incidents like this at least once a week in this state," Sprowl said last month. "At first glance you'd think this woman is taking care of the dogs by the looks of her Web site, but when we saw this place we couldn't believe it."
The breeder called the business Dufour's Dachshunds and operated using an Internet site at www.dufoursdachshunds.com. The site had photographs of the dogs for sale and a Web page dedicated to fighting puppy mills.
Jill Diorio of Worcester, Mass., said she bought her dachshund, Bailey, from Dufour and she said she is shocked at the condition the dogs were living in. Diorio said Bailey is a healthy dog and she remembers Dufour being adamant about accepting cash only.
The remaining dogs are being cared for at a Massachusetts kennel.
Sprowl said the Massachusetts SPCA had problems with this resident when she was living in that state.
She is scheduled to appear in Plaistow District Court on May 9 at 8 a.m. to face the charges against her. | Source: Sea Coast Online - April 8, 2005
Update posted on Apr 8, 2005 - 3:52PM |
A woman who was selling dachshund puppies over the Internet from feces-filled cages is banned from selling the dogs for now, and could face local and federal charges, officials said.
Police have called in the Rockingham County attorney's office as they consider local charges against the woman, who had about 30 dachshunds in the home.
Authorities say the woman, who has not been named, is likely to face local charges, but investigators are about a week away from wrapping up the case.
"I can tell you our health officer, building inspector, electrical inspector and fire inspector are all looking at different issues regarding the house," said Police Chief Donald Briggs.
Health and animal cruelty investigators who were called to the home on March 9 said they found it filled with dog cages and pens that were filled with feces and urine.
Briggs said the business can't operate now, and the dogs have been taken to a kennel.
People who recently bought puppies from the woman should have nothing to worry about, Briggs said. Investigators have mostly been focusing on the condition of the property.
Assistant Rockingham County Attorney Jerome Blanchard said the woman could face misdemeanor charges. He said officials mentioned that the woman also acknowledged she has been selling puppies for the past eight years, but has not filed the profits on her taxes.
Blanchard said his office would not address that issue, and it would likely be referred to the U.S. attorney's office or the Internal Revenue Service. | Source: Sea Coast Online - March 30, 2005
Update posted on Mar 30, 2005 - 10:33PM |
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