By LINDA KELLETT

MINDEN — State Police on Friday released information about the mid-week removal of over 50 dogs and puppies from a town of Minden breeder over two days this week.

As noted in a press release from the Troop G press office based in Latham, personnel from the State Police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Plain Police Department responded to an address on state Route 5S on Wednesday to execute a search warrant. 

According to the news release, “The response and warrant were a result of numerous complaints received by all three agencies over the last several days regarding the living conditions of canines that were housed in a barn across the road from that address.”

Although not listed in the press release, the address of the property has been identified as 7145 state Route 5S. Joseph Marriott, who has been identified in e-mails from animal rights advocates as the owner of at least some of the animals, on Wednesday told this reporter that he’s had the kennel since he was young. “I was raised with these when I was growing up. I’m not very happy. They’re holding them on me,” he said on Thursday.

A dozen of the dogs removed from the property reportedly belonged to a Fort Plain man who was arrested during a mid-December drug sweep by Fort Plain Police.

While executing the search warrant, officials reportedly found uninhabitable conditions for the canines located there.

According to State Police, “Some of these conditions included an unheated and element-exposed structure, frozen water, a deceased canine, and many of the canines lying in fecal matter. This resulted in an immediate effort of the removal of over 50 canines which ranged in age from puppy to adulthood and were mostly of the Pit Bull breed.” 

The release continued, “This removal was a herculean effort given the number of canines and the numerous shelters and agencies which had to be contacted and coordinated for assistance in housing these animals on a temporary basis, along with a veterinarian check of each dog prior to being removed from the premises. Officials at the scene had set up heaters within the barn until the last animals were removed,” at around 9 p.m. Thursday.

An Ayres Memorial Animal Shelter employee on Thursday confirmed that some of the canines have been taken there.

According to troopers, the removed dogs “suffered from various health-related issues including frostbite, open sores and worms. There is no information yet available as to when or if these animals would be available for adoption.” 

The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this time.