115 dogs and 25 cats are found in home

6/24/2006

BRISTOL - Complaints from neighbors helped lead police to the largest puppy mill ever found in Washington County, authorities said yesterday.



The stench of feces and urine from 115 dogs and 25 cats wafted out of the house on Nininger Road as officers in biohazard suits carried animals from the home.

"It's unbearable, the smell of feces and the ammonia from the urine," Washington County sheriff's deputy Daryll Thacker said. "You can't hardly open your eyes."

Janis Carpenteri, 76, could face 140 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect, one for each dog and cat seized from the home, Sheriff Fred Newman said.

The raid marked the region's fourth major case of animal-cruelty allegations this year.

"This is the worst one we've had," Thacker said.

The number of animals could swamp the county shelter, already crowded after deputies seized 16 dachshunds last month.

The sheriff said he would ask for an emergency trial date to speed up the process.

Carpenteri raised and sold poodles, Pomerarians, Malteses, Chihuahuas and Siamese cats. She said the income supplemented her Social Security checks.

"Without these dogs, I can't pay my insurance, I can't pay my bills," Carpenteri said. "They're my life."

Officers found about a third of the dogs and three-fourths of the cats in cages, with the rest of the animals running loose throughout the house, the sheriff said.

Authorities plan to call in the local health department to decide whether the house can be occupied again or should be condemned.

"In all honesty, I don't see how she was able to stay in the house herself," the sheriff said.

Veterinarians at Highlands Animal Hospital will look over the dogs and cats before sending them to the Washington County Animal Shelter.

Carpenteri said she has raised dogs for the past 50 years. She said she knew she had too many but doesn't know what she'll do without them.

"It's going to kill me - literally maybe," Carpenteri said. "I make a living with them, but they're my pets as well."

Her kennel license, issued this year, allows her to keep 20 dogs.

The American Kennel Club suspended her license to participate in dog shows in 1998 and fined her $500. The suspension was for poor record-keeping and refusing to let inspectors into her house, said Lisa Peterson, a spokeswoman for the club.

Dr. Basil Jones, a veterinarian, said he visited the house six months ago and didn't see a problem with the dogs.

"There's no fault to be had in what she's doing for the dogs," he said. "She's giving them what they need and when they need it, in defense of the poor woman."

But local animal lovers said Carpenteri fits the profile of an animal hoarder - someone who collects animals to satisfy a psychological need, often becoming unable to care for them.

"These people think that they can take better care of these animals than anyone else, and even though they're not taking care of them, they believe they are," said Lisa Johnson, president of the Bristol Humane Society. "Really, it's a psychological problem; it's an illness."

Authorities said they had gotten repeated complaints about Carpenteri's house, stretching back more than a month. They made yesterday's raid after getting a written anonymous complaint.

Carpenteri remained free from jail last night. She could face a court hearing next week.

A judge will decide what happens to the animals once the case wraps up.


Zach Fox is a staff writer for the Bristol Herald Courier.

Referencess:Richmond Times Dispatch