Police say a Hudson woman is facing animal cruelty charges after officers found a mother dog and seven newborn puppies living in a detached garage cluttered with debris, exposed wiring and an open container of gasoline. Animal control removed the dogs on the spot and turned them over to a local rescue. Investigators later learned the mother had originally delivered 10 puppies, three of which did not survive. The hazardous conditions led officers to seek an arrest warrant for the property owner on multiple counts of cruelty to animals, and the case is now headed to Nashua-area district court.
What officers found
Officers and an animal-control officer went to the Hudson home on May 31 after neighbors complained about excessive barking. Inside a detached garage, they found a Cane Corso and seven puppies. The space was littered with trash and debris and had exposed electrical wiring, batteries and deteriorating drywall, along with an open container of gasoline placed near the animals’ food and water bowls. The puppies were lying on soiled blankets, according to Lowell Sun. Because of what officials described as immediate safety hazards, Hudson Animal Control removed the mother dog and puppies from the property.
Arrest and charges
Police later identified the legal owner of the dogs as 50-year-old Candice Riley of Hudson. Officers obtained a warrant charging her with eight counts of cruelty to animals, according to Boston 25 News. Riley was arrested at her Hudson residence, then released on personal-recognizance bail. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Nashua District Court on July 28.
Rescue and rehoming
Hudson police say the mother dog and her puppies were signed over to the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire for medical care and help with placing them in new homes. The rescue has already reported that several of the puppies have been adopted, according to NBC Boston. A follow-up investigation found that the mother originally gave birth to 10 puppies, three of which did not survive, police said. In announcing the case, the Hudson Police Department publicly thanked the rescue for taking on the animals’ care.
How the law treats cruelty cases
According to reporting on the case, Riley’s eight counts are filed as class A misdemeanors in the local complaint. New Hampshire’s anti-cruelty statute, RSA 644:8, allows courts to hand down criminal penalties and, in some situations, limit or entirely prohibit future ownership or custody of animals if a person is convicted, per the Animal Legal & Historical Center’s summary of state law at Animal Law.
What happens next
Riley is due in Nashua District Court on July 28, and Hudson police say the investigation is still active. In the meantime, animal-control officials and rescue staff are continuing medical evaluations and adoption screenings for the dogs removed from the property.
