Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Hoarding - 12 dogs seized, 18 found dead

Hoarding - 12 dogs seized, 18 found dead
Calais, ME (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Apr 18, 2005
County: Washington
Local Map: available
Disposition: Convicted

Abuser/Suspect: Thomas Farr

Case Updates: 2 update(s) available

Case ID: 4774

Classification: Hoarding

Animal: dog (non pit-bull), rodent/small mammal (pet)

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A Waite woman agreed to surrender an 18-year-old bichon frise to the state, but her husband, Thomas Farr, is expected to appear in court charged with two counts of animal cruelty.

Lori Ann Farr turned over her dog, Bridgett, to the state on May 24.

"She had the assistance of counsel," First Assistant District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said. "After consultation [with her attorney] she decided that she would surrender the dog to the state."

In May, animal control officers reportedly found 18 dead dogs at the Farr home. State officials rescued 12 other dogs from the property. Some of the dogs had been chained. The dead dogs were in various stages of decomposition.

Thomas Farr, who said at the time that he owned most of the dogs, willingly gave them up to the state at the time they were seized.

Tracie Ghalavin, who also lived on the property and owned a brown-and-white husky puppy, relinquished her rights to her puppy on May 3.

Cavanaugh said he had received a report from the state officials who had conducted a necropsy on the dogs. He said it was too early to comment on the report.

If convicted, Farr could be sentenced up to a year in jail.

On April 18, animal control officers went to the Farr-Ghalavin property and found the dogs. Farr told officials that at one point he had 30 dogs but a virus hit the kennel last year.

"A deceased dog was lying in the kennel area and I asked Mr. Farr what happened to her and he stated that he had raced her and she was fine and then that night she died," state officials said in an affidavit on file with the court. "The body appeared to be that of a very emaciated dog, the bone structure could be easily seen."

Thomas Farr told animal control officers that he planned to build his kennel up again so he could race in the Iditarod in 2008.

Animal control officers found more dead dogs on the upper part of the Farr property.

"The dogs were still tied to their chains on the doghouses and one of the dogs was deceased in a folding wire crate. There were several skeletons and piles of fur in that area approximately 13 in total," the court affidavit said.

On April 20, animal control officers executed a warrant and seized 30 dogs, including the 18 dead dogs. They also seized a ferret.

"The dogs that were alive were emaciated and dehydrated. The dogs did not have access to water or food and they did not have adequate shelter. The dogs drank excessive amounts of water upon arrival at the shelter," the affidavit said.

Case Updates

The law does not allow for probation in misdemeanor animal cruelty cases, so a 4th District Court judge Tuesday fined a 37-year-old Waite man after State Humane Agency investigators found 18 dead dogs on his property last year.

The judge also banned Thomas Farr from owning pets.

Judge John Romei fined Farr $250 and ordered him to pay more than $500 in restitution to the state to cover the cost of the investigation including the necropsy of two dogs.

First District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said Thursday that the state earlier had dismissed the charge that Farr allegedly had killed the animals because the necropsy on the two dogs revealed that although they were emaciated it appears that one died of cancer and the other of unknown causes. The dog that died of unknown causes had food in its stomach. Necropsies on the other dogs were not performed because they were in various stages of decomposition.

Cavanaugh explained what led to the sentence. Two years ago, an overcrowding in the jails forced the Legislature to change the law to eliminate probation for most misdemeanors.

At the time the Class D offense was committed, there was no probation available as a tool for the system. "So we couldn't put Mr. Farr on probation," Cavanaugh said. "Animal abuse cases are another class of cases that the Legislature should consider authorizing probation for a misdemeanor. It's too bad the Legislature took that tool away from judges."

Norma Worley, director of the Department of Agriculture's animal welfare program, agreed. She said Thursday that she was pleased the judge had imposed the lifetime ban and that Farr was ordered to pay restitution to her department, but added, "I would have liked to see that he had gotten jail time." Worley said she would like to see the law allow for probation for crimes like this.

In April 2005, animal control officers reportedly found 18 dead dogs at the Farr home. State officials rescued 12 other dogs from the property. Some of the dogs had been chained.

Farr, who said at the time that he owned most of the dogs, willingly gave them up to the state at the time they were seized.

Farr's wife, Lori Ann, turned over her dog, Bridgett, to the state on May 24.

Tracie Ghalavin, who also lived on the property and owned a brown-and-white husky puppy, relinquished her rights to that dog on May 3.

Sentencing for Farr was delayedfor one year so that the state could monitor Farr's living conditions, including some Department of Health and Human Services issues unrelated to the animal cruelty case. During that year, Cavanaugh said, Farr complied with what the court had ordered.

"The original position was if we had to come back to court before the year was up, the state would ask for a 30-day jail sentence," Cavanaugh said. "If we didn't have to come back and he made those rehabilitative efforts, we would consider a new sentence based upon what we had learned in that year. Mr. Farr has made progress in addressing the problems. He has had no animals for the year. So the court imposed the sentence proposed by the parties."

In 2009, Farr can petition the court to have the ban lifted. "The burden is on him then or sometime thereafter to show that he can care for animals," Cavanaugh said.

Source: Bangor Daily News - May 19. 2006
Update posted on May 22, 2006 - 4:44AM

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A 4th District Court judge Tuesday agreed to delay for one year the sentencing of a Waite man who was charged with animal cruelty after 18 dogs were found dead at his home.

Thomas Farr, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty. A second count was dismissed.

Judge John Romei set sentencing for May 16, 2006.

First District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said after Farr appeared Tuesday that last year an overcrowding in the jails forced the Legislature to change the law to eliminate probation for most misdemeanors. The Legislature has since changed the law.

"At the time this offense was committed, a Class D offense, there was no probation available as a tool for the system," Cavanaugh said. "If we had probation we could impose a sentence today, put him on probation and monitor that he was doing whatever it is he needs to do."

Cavanaugh said a solution was to release Farr on bail with conditions that he not own or possess any animals without prior approval of the State Humane Agency and allow the state to inspect his residence.

If Farr wants to own dogs in the future, Cavanaugh said this gives him an opportunity to demonstrate that he can provide proper food, shelter and care for the animals.

The prohibition against owning animals right now extends to Farr and his property. "The prohibition is that there's none on the premises. So there's none of that gamesmanship about it's my grandfather's dog I'm just watching it," Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh also said that Farr was dealing with a Department of Health and Human Services issue involving a family member.

"I understand DHHS is involved with the family and is requiring some counseling and treatment that your client plans to do and then hopes to use that improvement as mitigation for this conduct," Cavanaugh said in a letter to Farr's attorney John Churchill.

If Farr doesn't comply, he could go to jail. "If he can't make the improvements, or doesn't make the improvements such that the state humane agency is satisfied that he fixed it, then the state will be asking for 30 days in jail and a lifetime ban from owning, possessing or having in his property pets," the assistant DA said.

In April, animal control officers reportedly found 18 dead dogs at the Farr home. State officials rescued 12 other dogs from the property. Some of the dogs had been chained. The dead dogs were in various stages of decomposition.

Farr, who said at the time that he owned most of the dogs, willingly gave them up to the state at the time they were seized.

Farr's wife, Lori Ann, turned over her dog, Bridgett, to the state on May 24.

Tracie Ghalavin, who also lived on the property and owned a brown-and-white husky puppy, relinquished her rights to that dog on May 3.

Source: Bangor News - July 20, 2005
Update posted on Jul 20, 2005 - 10:20AM

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References

	Bangor Daily News - June 7, 2005
	Bangor Daily News - May 19, 2006

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Hoarding - 12 dogs seized, 18 found deadCalais, ME (US)

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Hoarding - 12 dogs seized, 18 found dead
Calais, ME (US)