Police and Humane Society workers found 305 violations of Vermont’s animal cruelty laws in the home of an Eden, VT. woman who called herself a dog rescuer. Carol Merchant kept 94 animals in squalid conditions, according to documents released at the woman’s arraignment in Lamoille County Superior Court. The town’s then-animal control officer had checked on the home repeatedly but failed to report any wrongdoing.
A report from the Humane Society’s National Disaster Animal Response Team documented the 305 violations. From the story:
- 31 dogs were dehydrated.
• 48 dogs and one cat were “too thin,” and 11 of the dogs were classified as emaciated, receiving the lowest score, 1 out of 9, on the Purina Condition System.
• 68 dogs and three cats had dozens of untreated veterinary issues.
• 73 dogs and four cats didn’t have the minimum required living space … “it did not appear that any of the crated dogs or cats was allowed out of their crates for the required one hour per day, if ever.”
• Sanitation was “particularly egregious” inside the house and the fumes were overpowering. Animals were living in inches of feces and urine, and they were covered in it.
Read the full story from the Stowe Reporter here.