Case of the Great Danes inspires support from Sununu

WOLFEBORO — On June 17, the day after 84 Great Dane dogs were seized from a suspected puppy mill operating out of a mansion, the state director for the Humane Society of the United States called for legislative action to tighten New Hampshire's laws regulating dog breeding and animal cruelty cases. Yesterday evening, she joined other representatives of animal rescue organizations and local law enforcement to welcome Governor Chris Sununu to their cause.

Sununu held a press conference on the front lawn of the Wolfeboro Police Departmen, where, between cuddles with puppies born from one of the dogs rescued from the Wolfeboro property, he signed an executive order re-establishing the Governor's Commission on the Humane Treatment of Animals.

"What was done here in Wolfeboro was amazing," Sununu said of the June 16 raid of a home of a suspected puppy mill, and subsequent rescue of 75 dogs at the residence as well as nine more dogs owned by Christina Fay but which were at other locations.

Sununu praised the local police department, as well as the Conway Area Humane Society, the Pope Memorial SPCA and the Humane Society of the United States, for partnering together to ensure the welfare of the rescued animals, which are currently being held in an undisclosed location while the state prepares to prosecute Fay.

Of the humane treatment of animals, Sununu said, "It's who we are in the state of New Hampshire, it's part of our culture."

The Governor's Commission on the Humane Treatment of Animals will be required to meet eight times per year, and must present a biennial report to the governor detailing recent animal cruelty cases and convictions, and will suggest and support legislation furthering the safety of animals, both domesticated and wild, in the state. The commission is also specifically charged with researching possible funding sources for animal cruelty cases.

Lindsay Hamrick, NH state director for the Humane Society of the United States, said that state law currently leaves local taxpayers on the hook for costs related to animal rescues. Those costs, especially when the animals must be held for months while court proceedings run their course, can be "astronomical," she said. In the case of the Great Danes, the cost is likely to reach $500,000, she said, adding that the HSUS has volunteered to cover all of those expenses.

She would like to see state laws address that issue, as well as the regulation of breeding operations.

"The regulation of commercial breeders in New Hampshire is quite relaxed," she said. Current law only requires a breeder to register if the business sells more than ten litters, or 50 puppies, per year.  "It's a really high bar and allows a lot of breeders to fly under the radar," Hamrick said.

"This case has highlighted how important these issues are," Hamrick said. She expects to help craft legislation for the 2018 session to address those concerns.

News of the June 16 raid shocked the Lakes Region and spread across the country. The day-long operation rescued 75 Great Danes from conditions that were reported to be abhorrent inside of the 15,000-square-foot mansion, located on Warren Sands Road. Floors were covered in feces and urine, and raw chicken, some of it rotting, was stored on counter tops. Nine more dogs were seized from other properties, bringing the total to 84.

Christina Fay, the owner and operator of De La Sang Monde Great Danes, was arrested and charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal neglect. Court affadavits state that the dogs were fed chicken that was rancid and infested with maggots, and that many of them were underweight and suffering from viral diseases that were left untreated. Fay, who has lived in Wolfeboro since 2015, was released on $10,000 personal recognizance bail.

But she will likely face many more charges, said Wolfeboro Police Chief Dean Rondeau.

"What we've been doing is working with our attorneys on this case literally day and night," Rondeau said. Although this case is one that "tugs on the heart strings," he said his investigators are taking the time to ensure that any charges brought against Fay are driven by facts.

"Everything we put in this case is backed up by evidence and science... It's easy to let emotions get carried away, I don't want anything we do to be ruled by emotion," Rondeau said.

He expected to bring multiple further charges, likely Class A misdemeanors, each charge of which could carry up to a year of incarceration.

Fay is due in court on Oct. 25 to face her charges.

Dave Owen, town manager, said that the town has also filed a zoning complaint against Fay for operating a business in a residential zone, and that the town will be asking a court to order her to reimburse the town for the costs associated with the investigation.