Dogs, cats, bird confiscated from kennel in Somerville

AUGUSTA – The director of Maine’s animal welfare program says a Lincoln County prosecutor will decide whether to file criminal charges in connection with the seizure of 67 dogs, four cats and a cockatiel from what she called an unlicensed breeding kennel in Somerville.

Norma Worley said the raid Saturday at the home of Fern Clark also turned up two dead dogs.

“It was a horrific case of neglect,” Worley said. Clark, whose phone number is unlisted, could not be reached for comment.

Worley said the case unfolded after police stopped a woman Wednesday in Salem, N.H., with 22 dogs in her vehicle, including three dead ones. Amy Moolic, 32, of Dracut, Mass., told police she had rescued 12 of the dogs from a “puppy mill” in Somerville.

The dogs found in Clark’s home included Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus and Lhasa apsos. Worley said most were in cages, but about a dozen were loose in the house. All were in need of medical attention.

Many of the animals were placed at southern Maine shelters and emergency clinics.

Worley said Clark, who had operated a state-licensed kennel from 1994 to 2005, said she had not renewed her license because she was no longer breeding dogs.