Massachusetts: Former Fitchburg shelter workers, Amy Egeland, 49, and Sean Stanton, 50, face animal cruelty charges

MASSACHUSETTS -- Two former Fitchburg Animal Shelter workers who train dogs using controversial methods were arraigned this week on charges of animal cruelty.

Amy J. Egeland (aka Amy Leach), 49, and Sean P. Stanton, 50, dog trainers who worked at the now-defunct Fitchburg Animal Shelter, are facing charges of animal cruelty for allegedly keeping a dog muzzled for multiple days. The charges were brought by the Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Stanton said Thursday that the allegations are "unfounded," and that the dog was brought to him with a muzzle.

Their treatment of animals has come under fire in the past, and Egeland's management of the Fitchburg shelter in 2014 led to its closure and her own termination.

Until these charges, the couple operated a Worcester business called Balance Your Bully Canine Training, where they trained dogs with behavioral issues, some of which are violent.

What training have these two people had to deal with dogs with have behavioral issues and which may also have been vicious? Some of these dogs handed over to them may have attacked people, may have attacked and/or killed other animals.

Stanton and Egeland were arraigned on Monday in Worcester Superior Court on one charge each of felony animal cruelty, released on personal recognizance, and ordered not to adopt or take on responsibility for any animals while the case is ongoing.

"They're being charged because they put a muzzle on a dog that caused injuries," said Tim Connolly, spokesman for the office of the Worcester County District Attorney.

Stanton disputes the charges.

"The MSPCA has no idea what happened," he said. "I did not put a muzzle on a dog; it came to me with a muzzle.

The owner of the dog brought the dog to his vet and they had to sedate him for three hours to put the muzzle on. Then they brought him to me."

This is not the first time Egeland and Stanton have faced accusations of animal cruelty.

They're accused of illegally euthanizing Capone

A 2014 report on the Fitchburg Animal Shelter, released by the state Department of Agricultural Resources Division of Animal Health, alleged that Egeland conspired to illegally euthanize a dog, overstepped her role as shelter manager, and operated the shelter without written protocols and policies.

The shelter was shut down following the release of this report.

Stanton and Egeland are now what Stanton called "balanced trainers," meaning they use tools like electronic collars and muzzles in training shelter and rescue dogs.

Stanton said many of the dogs he works with would otherwise be euthanized, but he has helped hundreds find safe homes.

They previously operated their training business in Fitchburg, but moved to Worcester in 2015 after they encountered problems renewing their license.

Now, Connolly said, the business is no longer operating.

When the pair was charged with animal cruelty, Stanton started a crowd-sourced funding page to pay for his legal expenses. He and Egeland later shut down the page, but began posting on Facebook about their charges.

"(The MSPCA) want to take away my rights to help unbalanced dogs by banning me from working with animals," he wrote. "If they win, it opens all balanced trainers up to cruelty charges for the tools we use."

Their attorney, Steven Power of Worcester, could not be reached for comment.

Their next appearance in court will be a pre-trial conference on July 28.

(Sentinel & Enterprise - June 17, 2016)

Earlier:

• Massachusetts: Fitchburg owner wants justice after dog euthanized
• Massachusetts: Mayor orders shutdown of Fitchburg shelter run by Amy Egeland
• Massachusetts: Amy Egeland and her boyfriend Sean Stanton trying to open a kennel despite previous allegations of animal cruelty
• Massachusetts: New charges slam former manager, Amy Egeland, of Fitchburg animal shelter