State police have arrested a Woodstock woman and charged her with 103 counts of animal cruelty after removing the animals from her home.
Police said they removed 96 dogs, two cats, two exotic birds, one wild rabbit and two goats from a home on Route 169 in Woodstock and they were suffering from medical issues.
Tracy Donovan, 59, was arrested on Wednesday and she is due in court on Thursday.
Police said most of the animals taken from her home suffered significant neglect and lacked food, water, wholesome air and prior veterinary care.
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The investigation started on Jan. 26 when a property acquisition company contacted the Northeast Council of Governments animal service about what they found at the property.
The person who filed the complaint had been hired to appraise the house and said it would have to be stripped down to the floor joists because the subfloor was worn from all the animals, according to the arrest warrant.
Another concern was the smell. The person who contacted authorities said it was so bad that they stripped their clothes off in the garage and took a shower.
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Photos from inside the house showed piles of trash, around 20 dirty dog cages and crates with small dogs inside, wood shavings, animal feces and garbage, according to the arrest warrant.
It went on to say that the dogs didn’t appear to have access to water or food while in the cages and crates.
Other dogs roaming the residence also appeared to lack food or water and they looked underweight and dirty, according to police.
Then, on June 22, the state Department of Agriculture state animal control officer received a complaint about the welfare of dogs at a home on Route 169.
The caller said Donovan was offering to sell dirty, skinny dogs and puppies from the home.
When the animal control officer and officials from the Northeast Council of Governments went to the house to check on the animals, they found two thin, lethargic goats in a shed that had around three inches of goat feces and shavings, the warrant states, and the water bowls were dry and caked with dry dirt.
When the investigators went to the house and knocked on the door, 20 to 30 dogs started to bark, yelp and whimper, according to the warrant.
Investigators searched the house on July 10 and found “deplorable conditions,” the warrant states.
It says the crates and cages were extremely dirty and feces and woodchips were scattered through the home. Inside, there was a stench of feces, urine and ammonia.
Four dogs were found unresponsive and staff of a veterinary hospital determined that they had to be euthanized because of chronic disease and neglect, the warrant states.
One hundred and three animals were taken from the home.
All 96 dogs were suffering from health issues, including dehydration, matting, flea anemia, severe dental disease, skin infections and long nails, according to the arrest warrant.
The exotic birds and cats also had medical issues and the goats were dehydrated and anemic, according to the warrant.
Donovan’s bond was set at $150,000 and she has been ordered not to possess any animals.
