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Article Archive > Remaining dogs that had lived in squalor in Spring Lake Heights removed Remaining dogs that had lived in squalor in Spring Lake Heights removed SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS - The last of the 64 dogs at a home where animals were found living in squalor earlier this month were removed to a shelter on Tuesday, according to Victor "Buddy' Amato, chief investigator for the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Aninals. Animal protection officials were tipped off by neighbors Dec. 13 to a puppy-breeding operation at the 800-square-foot Jersey Avenue home of Muriel A. Ennis, 69, and her son Chad R. Ennis, 40, Amato said. There were 29 Labrador puppies removed the first day, along with two adult dogs, and then dogs were removed in groups of 10 or more during the last two weeks, said Amato. The last 14 dogs - mostly Labradors - were removed at noon on Tuesday, he said. Amato said neighbors were concerned that all of the dogs were not removed from the home the first day. "We didn't have room to take them all and we would have had to put other animals down (at the shelter) to make room for the dogs we were bringing in,' Amato said. "We got all the dogs out and we didn't have to put down a single animal to make room for them.' Amato said the animal incident is a criminal investigation and all of the dogs are being evaluated and treated by three veterinarians and numerous veterinarian technicians. Charges against the the mother and son are pending the conclusion of Amato's investigation, the evaluation by veterinarians and the tally of the cost of veterinary services for 64 dogs. "This is a criminal investigation,' Amato said. "Before there are charges, I want to see what the veterinarian bills are. We will be looking for restitution on the vetting. "The animals in this case were evidence and we couldn't send them to different shelters,' Amato said. He said the mother and son had moved out of the house and it was condemned. He said the health department and code enforcement have been involved in the investigation. The house will most likely be torn down, Amato said. He said Chad Ennis, supervised by an SPCA officer, made daily trips to the house to provide food, water and let the dogs outside until they could be removed. Amato said neighbors who contacted him to complain about the dogs still at the house should be assured that all dogs were removed. "They are all well-intended neighbors, but they were doing more damage than good,' said Amato, who received numerous calls and emails from residents. "If we had taken all of the dogs at one time, that would have meant a certain death sentence for some dogs. There just wasn't the room to take them all at once.' Amato said he does not want either Ennis or her son to ever be able to own a dog again. He said the mother and son helped remove the last dogs from the house. Some of the dogs had mange, needed to be spayed or neutered and many had health problems because they were inbred, he said. All of the dogs had to be given medication for worms, he said. Muriel Ennis said on Dec. 13 the dogs became an overwhelming problem for her when they were dumped off at her home after her partner in a dog-breeding arrangement became ill and the situation got out of her control. Amato said charges will be filed by the end of the week. A court date will be set after the charges are filed, he said. |