BANGOR, Maine — State officials have cleared Maine animal shelters that took in more than 60 dogs, cats, goats and chickens seized last week from an alleged illegal breeding operation to begin offering the animals for adoption to permanent homes.
State animal welfare agents removed the animals on Jan. 13 from a home at 1064 Framingham Road in Littleton.
John and Dawn Hulstrunk have since been summoned on one count each of misdemeanor animal cruelty, according to Liam Hughes, director of animal welfare for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and Aroostook County Sheriff Darrell Crandall.
The Hulstrunks are due to appear Feb. 18 in Houlton District Court.
Hughes said Friday the animals were signed over to the shelters this week, clearing them to offer the animals for adoption. Most of the animals are still undergoing evaluations for behavioral and medical reasons, he said.
Hughes said the animals were removed because of the conditions at the home, though he declined to discuss those conditions in detail, saying the facts would come out when the state introduces its case.
Normally, Hughes said, the state tries to work with owners to ensure they provide their animals with adequate food, water, shelter and veterinary care, as well as clean and humane living conditions, as required by state law.
“But if they don’t and they fail, then we have to start enforcing the law and take legal action,” he said.
Because there were too many animals seized for any single shelter to accept, they were dispersed between Central Aroostook Humane Society, Houlton Humane Society, Sissy’s Livestock Rescue in Oakland, Bangor Humane Society, Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick, Greater Androscoggin Humane Society, Kennebec Valley Humane Society, Animal Refuge of Greater Portland and Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk.
In Bangor, Humane Society Director of Public Relations and Development Stacy Coventry said the shelter took in 10 dogs from the seizure. Five of those will be available for adoption beginning Saturday, she said, with the remaining canines to be made available in the coming days or weeks.
The first five include two Chihuahua mixes, two Lab mixes that must be adopted as a pair and one border collie mix, she said.
Coventry stressed that adopters must work with an adoption counselor to ensure the dogs are good fits for their homes.
“We know people think with their hearts, but we want people to think about what is going to be a good long-term match for the pets and themselves,” she said.
Hughes said his department works with most of the state’s animal shelters and that its mission would be impossible without them. Even if concerned residents aren’t able to take in an animal, he said they can still help by volunteering or donating.
“By the community helping their local animal shelters, they’re helping the animal welfare program stop situations like this,” he said.
Coventry said immediate needs at the Bangor shelter include volunteers to walk dogs, clean kennels, conduct animal enrichment and training, work adoption events at off-site locations and provide foster homes for dogs and cats.
The shelter also needs cash donations to help pay for veterinary bills and other costs, as well as donations of canned food, toys, blankets, beds and cat litter.
At its busiest, she said the shelter uses a ton of cat litter every eight days.
To be adoptable, all cats and dogs at the shelter must undergo physical exams, be spayed or neutered, have all their vaccinations for the year and be assessed for temperament.
For more information on the Bangor Humane Society’s dogs, visit their Facebook page.
BDN writer Jen Lynds contributed to this report.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.