“I think some heads should roll, I think they should resign,” said Westport resident Constance Gee.
"“I think somebody should pay for this,” added another resident, Liz Collins.
Tammy Viveiros said she's had trouble explaining to her 2-year-old daughter why her beloved cows are now gone.
“She’ll never have those cows again. How do you do that? Tell me how to do that to my child,” she said during a Board of Health Meeting Monday night.
The ASPCA has taken over the care of all the animals on the 71-acre tenant farm, regardless of whether or not the owners are under investigation. The property consists of 20 lots, which are rented out by owner Richard Medeiros.
At a heated meeting, residents and farmers peppered Board Members Karl Santos and John Colletti with questions -- the only two men who, admittedly, could have inspected the farms annually as the town's licensed municipal animal inspectors.
“If you guys took the time to do your jobs the correct way, this wouldn’t’ve happened,” Viveiros shouted.
Santos admitted he inspected the property in January, which police and animal rescue officials have called one of the worst they've ever seen.
When asked again Monday if he stands by that inspection, Santos didn't back down.
"Yes. I saw no red flags," he said.
Westport Police have been highly critical of the town's Board of Health, since discovering what they say is a massive site of animal cruelty, affecting hundreds of mostly farm animals.
"This place is unbelievable," said Westport Police Sergeant Tony Cestodio.
"There's smells here that I never imagined I'd be smelling, as a detective on a police department," he said.
In reports obtained by NBC 10, Santos allegedly signed the inspection form with a straight line instead of a signature. He claims he was just "being sloppy that day."
However, Senior Health Agent Jim Walsh admitted Friday to NBC 10 that he conducted parts of the inspection, even though he is not licensed to do so.
The Board's chair claims that was done for safety reasons, and that Walsh's work was always signed off on by a certified inspector.
“I’ve gotten chased by dogs because of one individual. I won’t go back to one alone. So I want my agents to go two together," said John Colletti, chairman of the Westport Board of Health.
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources says "only individuals who are approved are able to conduct (or) sign inspections."
But members of the Board said they have no plans to step down.
“The board would not run well without us,” Colletti said, while Santos added, “I mean that’s their opinion, but I have no reason to resign.”
Meanwhile, police spent a seventh day at the crime scene Monday. Authorities say 900 animals remain on the property, and roughly 180 have been removed.
(Turnto10 - Aug 2, 2016)
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