POUGHKEEPSIE – Just days after several animal rescue groups saved more than 20 Great Danes from horrific conditions in a Milan home, Dutchess County officials have begun investigating complaints about the Dutchess County SPCA (DCSPCA).
County Legislature Chairman Will Truitt and County Executive Sue Serino indicated they will look into the situation.
After speaking with people who are familiar with the Milan rescue, the county officials indicated that an investigation into the Dutchess SPCA is likely. “This is a horrific tragedy,” Truitt said. He noted that he has heard of “numerous instances” of questionable behavior by the DCSPCA. said Truitt. “We’re going to look at everything to make sure things like this don’t happen again. This never should have happened,” and he indicated that the agency should have intervened years earlier.
The rescue that occurred on Friday, January 12 involved several out-of-county rescue groups saving the dogs from a Dutchess County residence where the owner had died.
(The original Mid-Hudson News account of the deplorable conditions and questionable response from the DCSPCA can be found here.)
The DCSPCA has refuted the fact-based article and demanded an apology along with a retraction. The agency was informed that no such actions would occur. One of the story facts disputed by the DCSPCA is that the Hudson Valley Animal Rescue (HVAR) was the lead agency on Friday but failed to indicate what agency managed the rescue of the dogs. Several participants have told Mid-Hudson News that HVAR spearheaded the removal and transportation of the 21 canines.
On Tuesday afternoon, DCSPCA Executive Director Lynne Meloccaro issued a statement calling the rescue a “wonderful act of collaboration” while expressing gratitude for all of the agencies that responded.
The rescuers said the conditions inside the home included the floors being covered in several inches of a mixture of fecal matter, mud, and debris. …
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