EDEN, Md.- No charges yet in the case of 300 dogs rescued from a Wicomico County home last week due to "unsatisfactory conditions."
In a press conference at the Humane Society of Wicomico County Wednesday afternoon, Wicomico State's Attorney Matt Maciarello said his office is handling this case essentially as a child abuse case, reviewing and documenting each dog individually. While no charges have been filed, Maciarello said they could be on the way in roughly the next 45 days.
Aaron Balsamo, Executive Director of the humane society said the dogs are being medically evaluated and no determination has been made as to if any need to be euthanized.
Wicomico County Animal Control said in a press release Monday that on Wednesday, April 6, animal control officers, with the assistance of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office, conducted a kennel check on a county resident.
According to Lt. Tim Robinson of the sheriff's office, 200 of the 300 dogs were inside a barn on the property, located on the 5000 block of Cooper Road in the Eden area. Robinson said it took animal control and the sheriff's office 14 hours to remove the dogs.
Most of the dogs removed from the property were Pomeranians, according to Aaron Balsamo, executive director of the Humane Society of Wicomico County. Balsamo said the majority of the dogs are not in good condition. He also said the vast number of dogs suddenly coming under the Humane Society's care has prompted the organization to seek donations from the public including dog food, old newspapers and liners for dog cages, as well as cleaning supplies.
