Two city residents are facing seven charges each of animal cruelty after police and state social workers allegedly found seven dogs, a number of cats, a bird, a rabbit and a dead ferret in their Pine Street home.

Chief David Goldstein said John Harmon, 47, and Shannon Kelly-Harmon, 39, also have two children who are in temporary custody of the state Division of Children, Youths and Families.

Goldstein said his officers became aware of the number of animals when the Harmon's reported one of their children as a runaway on June 24.

He said Officer Christopher Hart knew the child from his job as school resource officer and was able to locate her. During his interview with the child, Goldstein said, Hart learned of the living conditions in the home and contacted a DCYF worker for an evaluation. The worker went to the home and removed a second child.

He said the child told Hart she ran away because the last time she went home the smell in the house caused her to vomit and, when she went into her room, her pet ferret was dead.

Goldstein said the Harmon's were told to take care of their animals and clean their home or the children would not be returned. He said John Harmon took the seven dogs to the Franklin Animal Shelter while police helped animal rescuers herd the nearly 20 feral cats living near and in the house.

The rabbit and the bird were given to a family in Washington (N.H.).

Goldstein said all of the dogs were in "very bad" shape, with matted feces in their coats, fleas, worms and a variety of open sores and infections. He said the dogs included a male poodle, a male Chihuahua, a male Chinook, an American Eskimo dog, a spayed Pekinese, an 8-year-old shelty and a 6-year-old black Labrador.

Laurence Boyett, a volunteer at the shelter, said all seven dogs remain with them but, because of this sudden influx, the shelter is now full. He said that, until the case is finished, the dogs will stay at the shelter waiting for the court to determine whether or not they can be adopted.

He said all seven have been treated by a veterinarian and cleaned by a groomer — at a cost of $2,000.

Goldstein said that, when the veterinarian determined the condition of the dogs met the standard for cruelty, he issued arrest warrants for both Harmon's

"This was a very ugly situation," Goldstein said. "There's not enough adjectives to describe what we found in that house."

The Harmon's are due to appear in Franklin District Court in August.

People wishing to help the Franklin Animal Shelter may call 603-934-4132 or go to the website at www.franklinanimalshelter.com. He said the shelter is in need of cash to pay the veterinarian and grooming bills.

Update 7/22/09:  A Franklin couple have been charged with seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty from a home they described as deplorable in condition.

The Harmon's and their three children went to stay with relatives after officials inspected their Pine Street home and found the animals - including as many as 20 cats - and a "great deal of animal excrement," said Franklin police Chief David Goldstein.

Goldstein called the house's condition "very bad." He attributed it to "the filth, basically. . . . You have to see it to believe it, if that makes sense."

The dogs taken to the Franklin Animal Shelter were severely flea-infested, said Laurence Boyett, the president of the nonprofit Granite State Animal League, which runs the shelter.

"Some of them were matted. They all had worms, roundworm," he said. "I think they were really smelly. . . . A couple of them had some open sores."

The cats were in similar condition, Boyett said, suffering from fleas and upper respiratory infections. Three were pregnant, he said. Boyett believes more remain at the house.

"We've been working with the police department to get them out of the house," Boyett said. "The place was really, really, really nasty."

Goldstein said the children have since returned to the home, which the Harmon's own and where they have lived for the past six years, court records show. Kelly-Harmon works at Granite State Independent Living in Concord, while her husband works for Polaris Direct in Hooksett, according to court records.

Kelly-Harmon expressed frustration with the Franklin police and the officials involved in the situation

"Every single one of them has told us different things," she said.   That's all I can say about the matter while this court case is pending."

Kelly-Harmon also said a city inspector had come to her house "and said it was fine."

"Pretty much it became a matter of, let's clean up the house, and the children can come back when the health officials sign off on that," he said. "My understanding now is the kids are back in the home and the Harmon's have cleaned up the residence."

The couple's attorney, Stephen Cherry, had requested the dogs be transferred from the shelter to the care of Kelly-Harmon's relatives.

In a reply to Cherry's request, Franklin police Sgt. Lisa Carter requested a judge extend the shelter's custody of the animals so officials have time to determine if the relatives' homes are suitable.

Reference:

Foster Daily Democrat

The Concord Monitor