A man in New York's Hudson Valley is facing charges after officials say dozens of dogs were found living in awful conditions, News 12 reported. Investigators described animals that were so emaciated that some had what looked almost like bed sores, in a case that has alarmed the rescue workers now caring for the surviving dogs and trying to bring them back to health.
A total of 34 dogs were found at a home in Patterson, in Putnam County, according to officials. The discovery came shortly after the Putnam County SPCA said it had received a complaint about the large number of dogs being kept at the property, a tip that prompted officers to go and see the conditions inside for themselves.
According to the SPCA, the dogs were just about all in a state of emaciation, had not been properly fed and were not getting the right amount of nutrition. Chief Ken Ross said the majority of the animals showed clear signs of neglect, including skin infections, describing a situation in which a large number of dogs had been left to suffer at the same address.
Police arrested 64-year-old Kevin Burgesson and charged him with 34 counts of animal cruelty, one for each of the dogs recovered from the home. Officials said Burgesson had been operating as a breeder, and Ross noted that while the SPCA had previously made arrests involving hundreds of cats, it had never really dealt with this number of dogs in a single case.
News 12 said it had called a phone number listed for Burgesson online in an effort to reach him, but the call went to voicemail. He is due to appear in court later this month, as the case against the breeder moves through the legal process and the focus shifts to the welfare of the animals taken from his care.
The rescued dogs are primarily Labradors, along with several French bulldogs. Sophia Silverman Shanahan, of New Chance Animal Rescue, said the animals were recovering, some of them more quickly than others, although two of the senior dogs remain with the vet for now and will eventually be put up for adoption once they are well enough.
For the moment, the rescue is appealing for help with fostering some of the dogs while they continue to heal from months of neglect. Despite everything the animals have been through, those caring for them pointed to one hopeful sign, saying that even now the dogs' tails simply never seem to stop wagging as they begin to trust people again.