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Two members of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office have been praised by the Essex County Board of Supervisors for rescuing dogs described as neglected from a Mineville residence on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
ELIZABETHTOWN | Two members of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office are being hailed for rescuing dogs described as neglected from a Mineville residence last week.
Essex County sheriff’s deputies Bob Rice and Shawn LaPierre responded to the home on Wednesday after a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier notified local authorities of animals being kept in unsafe conditions.
Upon being dispatched to the residence, the deputies found the door ajar.
“After we received the complaint, we went in. The door was open and we removed them,” said Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava. “I watched them take five out."
The animals were tethered and were being kept in what officials described as unsafe conditions.
“I saw some photos of the dogs. You could count every rib. They were in disgusting conditions. There was feces around the house and it was horrible,” said Essex County Sheriff Richard Cutting. “They were emaciated.”
Scozzafava said the residence was known to local authorities as problematic, and the town’s animal control officer had previously been dispatched to the home after receiving complaints of dogs, chickens and pigs being kept in questionable conditions.
Tickets had been issued in the past to the homeowner, who he declined to identify.
Five dogs and one cat have been transported to the North Country SPCA in Elizabethtown.
“They were not in good condition. They were severely malnourished, and they are currently in our care," said North Country SPCA Executive Director Tara Powers.
No deceased animals were discovered on site.
Scozzafava said he was unsure if the homeowner, who was out of town at the time of the seizure, had been formally cited for violating the county’s animal cruelty law which regulates the use of tethers.
The supervisor hailed the deputies for their actions and offered a resolution of praise at the Essex County Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday.
“These guys are well-trained. The compassion they showed to these animals was just unbelievable. They’re doing something they truly care about, the wellbeing of those dogs.
“It was sickening to see, but we could never have done it without the assistance of those two deputies.”
