MONMOUTH COUNTY – The Monmouth County SPCA, along with authorities and animal control, rescued 60+ dogs and puppies from living in deplorable conditions in July 2020.
The person responsible for putting these animals through poor living conditions has received jail time.
The Monmouth County SPCA announced that Marlene Sandford of Middletown was sentenced in Middletown Municipal Court to six months incarceration, and $30,500 in fines.
Police had found dogs and puppies stacked in crates, with no food or water, and living in their own feces and urine, inside Sandford’s home in the Belford section of Middletown.
Sanford’s sentencing came with 61 counts of animal cruelty and a lifetime pet ownership ban.
During that time, dozens of MCSPCA and Middletown Township staff worked in sweltering heat to remove each dog from the home, which took nearly six hours.
Photo courtesy Monmouth County SPCA
“The majority of the dogs had matted fur from sitting in their own excrement, were crammed into crates together, and had never had veterinary care,” MCSPCA wrote in a statement.
All 61 dogs were transferred to the Monmouth County SPCA where they were vaccinated, spayed/neutered, groomed and received other surgeries if necessary.
MCSPCA explained how one dog, named Mary Lou, was so matted that her fur grew around her legs which left her deformed and needed corrective surgery and amputation.
Photo courtesy Monmouth County SPCA
In the months following this horrific hoarding incident, MCSPCA said all 61 of the Belford dogs and puppies had been adopted and are now in loving homes.
“There is no greater victory than when justice is brought forth, especially when the lives of innocent animals are involved,” MCSPCA Executive Director Ross Licitra said. “We are so proud of our Monmouth County SPCA Law Enforcement Division along with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Middletown Township Police for the persistence, professionalism, and most of all, hard work it took to finally bring this case to an end.”
Photo courtesy Monmouth County SPCA
“This is a big win for animal welfare, and we can’t reiterate enough that animal cruelty will not be tolerated in our community,” Licitra added.
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