Meda Talley, owner of Almost Home animal rescue, formerly located at 311 East St., was released on bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Bristol Superior Court on March 7, said Sgt. Nicholas Mullins.
In December, police seized over 40 animals from the shelter after an investigation found the animals were living in unsanitary conditions.
Robert Ziegler, attorney for Almost Home, has been critical of the town’s actions. Ziegler said he expects Talley to be acquitted of all charges
“It’s been a very traumatic experience for (Talley), all of it directly caused by the town,” he said.
Plainville has filed a lawsuit against Almost Home, seeking $17,000 for the costs of caring for the seized animals. The animals have been adopted or are in the process of being given a permanent home. The town and shelter disagreed on the adoption process, prompting several court hearings.
According to Talley’s arrest warrant, Animal Control Officer Donna Weinhofer received a complaint about conditions at the shelter on July 12, 2015. Weinhofer met with Talley at the shelter and noted there was a strong odor of urine and feces and that there were “cages on top of cages” with dogs in them, the warrant said. Weinhofer advised Talley about the overall cleanliness of the shelter and told her bacteria from urine and feces can lead to health problems.
Weinhofer went back to the shelter about five times between July and November. She noted on visits in late July and early August that the smell of urine and feces was still present, but it appeared Talley was making improvements, the warrant said.
The “overwhelming” smell and conditions returned by a Sept. 10 visit, according to Weinhofer. A dog she was checking on appeared dehydrated, she noted.
During the visit, Weinhofer also asked about the veterinarian caring for the animals. Talley told her she takes animals to Old Canal Veterinary Hospital and Ragged Mountain Animal Hospital, both in Plainville. Ragged Mountain officials told Weinhofer that Talley had not brought animals there since July 2015.
Five days later, Weinhofer went back to the shelter to investigate a claim of abuse, the warrant said. Weinhofer noted the smell of urine and feces was overwhelming even before entering the rescue and noted the facility was “filthy,” the warrant said. Weinhofer noted there were 15 dogs in cages on the floor, and more dogs in cages on shelves.
On a shelf about 15 feet long, there were 12 cages with cats and kittens in them. Cats were sitting in litter boxes as they nursed kittens because there was not enough room in the cage, the warrant said. Weinhofer noted many of the dogs were coughing and appeared lethargic. Several cats had symptoms of respiratory infections.
Weinhofer returned Sept. 19 to help clean for “several hours.” She noted that volunteers never removed sheets from cages and simply put new sheets and blankets over the dirty ones, the warrant said.
In November, Weinhofer received five sworn statements from witnesses about the condition of animals at the shelter. The witnesses noted there were too many animals for the space and they also questioned the smell, the warrant said. One witness said the animals are kept in cages 23 hours a day.
Weinhofer noted on various visits to the shelter the food and water bowls were often empty and dirty, the warrant said.
Weinhofer noted one cat that had an exposed tail bone. Talley brought the cat to the vet on Nov. 19 and the vet recommended the tail be amputated. When the animals were seized on Dec. 2, the surgery to amputate the tail had not been done, the warrant said.
(My Record Journal - Feb 22, 2016)
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