At the bottom of the long driveway at 21 Harrington Road hangs a sign that reads, "Cedarshake Kennel." Kennels are lined up alongside the house, somewhat hidden by a wooden fence that is starting to fall down.
A man who came to the door told a reporter his wife owns the kennel, but the couple did not want to speak to the press. For over an hour, a cat had been perched outdoors on a narrow windowsill, looking into the house, as light snow fell on the 10-degree morning. Told that the cat looked cold, the man responded, "He's a fat cat," and shut the door without letting it in.
Down the street, neighbor Robert J. Leger said he has heard cries of dogs many times coming from 21 Harrington Road.
"It's not normal cries or barks, like when a dog wants to be fed," said the contractor, who has lived there over a dozen years.
He said he and his wife have called the animal control officer in the past out of concern, and were told to document when they heard the dogs barking. On one occasion, Mr. Leger said, he and his wife drove to 21 Harrington Road out of concern and saw that dogs had been left alone. It was not the first time, he said.
"They would leave them for long periods of time," he said. "I just knew something was going on down there."
He and his wife have two dogs and love animals, he said.
"There should be charges or fines," he said. "They don't care about the animals."
Another neighbor, who did not want to give his name, said he had also heard the dogs barking often.
Robert A. Halpin, spokesman for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said there are two avenues used to take possession of animals at risk — a court order, which takes time, or having the owner voluntarily surrender them. He said he is not sure what led up to the surrender of the 71 dachshunds Monday. Earlier, the number of dogs had been reported at 69.
Westminster Animal Control Officer Mark Ransom said he reached out to the MSPCA after the surrender. The MSPCA took 60 of the dogs and the rest were left at Westminster's facility, he said.
"They were dirty and caked in feces and in urine," Mr. Halpin said. Some were living inside the house, which was extremely dirty, he said. Dogs housed in cages outside had little protection from the elements, he said.
Most of the dogs are underweight, with matted fur, and it is common for dogs found in such conditions to have respiratory and eye infections, he said.
It will take some time to clean them up, Mr. Halpin said, but the dogs all appear friendly and sociable and are awaiting veterinary and behavioral evaluations at the MSPCA-Angell's adoption centers in Boston and Methuen.
The dogs taken by the MSPCA and those being held in Westminster's facility will be spayed and neutered and available for adoption, he said.
The MSPCA's Law Enforcement department has opened an investigation. Mr. Halpin said he could not comment further on the investigation or whether criminal charges will be filed.
Mike Keiley, director of the Noble Family Animal Care and Adoption Center at the MSPCA-Nevins Farm in Methuen, was overseeing the arrival and sheltering of 30 of the dogs.
"We'll do everything we can to make the dogs comfortable, and we expect to carry out health and behavior checks in the days ahead," he said earlier Tuesday.
Mr. Keiley also stressed the need for patience, particularly among those eager to adopt.
"The dogs are coming from a traumatic environment and they'll need time to settle down. They'll need to be spayed and neutered, and they'll likely have some health issues that we'll need to help them overcome," he said.
(Worcester Telegram - January 6, 2015)
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