75 dogs, 24 birds seized from Wilton mobile home

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75 dogs, 24 birds seized from Wilton mobile home

Ann Bryant | Sun Journal

Animals were taken from this 391 U.S. Route 2 West home in Wilton last week.

By Ann Bryant, Sun Journal

Posted March 22, 2013, at 6:36 a.m.

WILTON, Maine — State officials seized 75 dogs and puppies, 24 birds, including three chickens, at a mobile home on Route 2 after finding some of them sick, emaciated and in unsanitary conditions.
 
The home of Nancy Champagne was searched by state animal welfare agents and Wilton police March 14 after a complaint was filed and officials got a search warrant.
 
“This is still an open investigation that started with a complaint to the Animal Welfare Program,” director Liam Hughes said Thursday. “We are still processing information gathered and getting all of the animals healthy.”
 
Champagne is expected to appear in Franklin County Superior Court in Farmington on May 10 for a hearing on whether the state will take permanent possession of the animals.
 
The animals were taken to Franklin County Animal Shelter in Farmington while the state pursues permanent possession of them. “All the animals are safe and are receiving the care they need to deal with the many medical issues the animals have,” Hughes said.
 
The court record indicated a majority of the dogs were deemed very thin or emaciated. Some had dental disease, hair loss and scabbing from chronic flea allergies, overgrown toenails, ear and eye infections and long hair matted with feces. Tests revealed many had parasites.

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