Owners charged in suspected cruelty case

As we first reported last night at 11, the Brant County SPCA is dealing with the worst case of animal cruelty it has seen in 10 years.

80 dogs and two cats were seized from a house near Paris after a couple of visits by investigators last week.

OSPCA inspector Brandon James says they’ve never had to rescue so many dogs at once. 80 maltese and yorkies — from puppies to 16 years old — were living under the same roof on West Dumfries Road in Paris.

“They were found in matted condition, feces, urine, the conditions they were housed in not sanitary at all.”

Some neighbours believe Darlene and her husband Marshall Dougherty were selling the dogs. Darlene didn’t want to talk on camera but did say this much: “They took away my 30 dogs which were perfectly healthy.”

She denies they were covered in feces. “That was an exaggeration. The reason I hadn’t clipped all of them, the reason the back end had not been clipped is because of the insects biting the deer flies were coming in; kinda cruel to keep clipping them.”

The OSPCA have charged Darlene and Marshall Dougherty with causing distress to animals and failing to comply with standard care and medical attention.

“If you can’t afford to have an animal you know, there’s expenses, vets, food, why have 1 at all, let alone 80?”

Karen Groh lives next door. She says a dozen of the dogs ran out in front of her car on the road the other day. She’s seen at least three of them hit by cars and killed.

“I don’t think she was a breeder, I was pretty sure and I know the bylaw says you can only have 3 dogs.”

“I’m shocked and disgusted.”

The SPCA is assessing the 80 dogs and giving them the medical attention they need. Once they’re spayed or neutered and healthy again the dogs will be available in Brantford for adoption.

Some of the females are pregnant.

As for the Doughertys: they’ll be in court in September 3rd in Brantford. If convicted, the penalty could be as much as a $60,000 fine, two years in jail, or both. There is also a lifetime ban on ever owning an animal again.