Eighty animals were seized Friday from a Corinna farm by the Animal Welfare Division of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
That number included 38 pigs, 20 chickens, 15 dogs and seven cows, according to Liam Hughes, director of animal welfare.
Hughes said that his department received a call Thursday that the owner of the animals was hospitalized and unable to care for them.
“Once we saw the condition of the animals, we had to take action to remove them from the property,” Hughes said late Friday afternoon.
Hughes declined to name the owner of the property, located at 905 Route 7. He also refused to describe the animals’ living conditions.
The director said that he needed to check with the owner to determine the circumstances that led to the dogs and farm animals allegedly being left uncared for.
The dogs, which Hughes described as large “mastif-type” dogs, were taken to several different small animal shelters. The other animals were taken to farmers who work with the department in similar emergency removal situations and large animal shelters.
The director warned area residents to be careful around the property as two pigs, which were included in the count, he and his crew were unable to catch Friday. The pigs were roaming on a field in the farm when crews had to leave the property, he said.
Hughes said the condition and health of the animals will have to be assessed to determine if they can be returned to the farm or not.