Dozens of dogs rescued in Eden

An Eden woman who operated an animal rescue service had to have her own animals rescued from her last week.

Police discovered nearly 100 dogs living in appalling conditions, most without access to clean water, food and sanitary living conditions.

Vermont State Police served a search warrant at Carol Merchant’s home in Eden last Wednesday, and the Humane Society of Chittenden County and other like-minded organizations sprang into action, removing more than 60 dogs and a few cats from the Route 100 home. There are still at least a couple of dozen animals left at the house.

According to Nancy Cathcart, president of the Chittenden County branch, state police are still investigating the situation, so she couldn’t say much about whether the other animals left at Merchant’s home will be removed. The Lamoille County State’s Attorney’s office might press animal cruelty charges, too.

Attempts to reach Merchant were unsuccessful.

“I would say that there’s a lot more to the story,” Cathcart said. “The best thing for these animals right now is to get them into good homes.”

Police started searching Merchant’s home at 9:39 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25. That evening, the Humane Society of Chittenden County set up an emergency treatment facility for the animals that had been taken away.

Cathcart said most of the dogs had been sitting in their own feces and urine for such a long time that they developed sores that had gotten infected. One furry critter’s coat was covered in so much dried poop that the dog sounded as if it was rolling around in marbles. Many of the dogs were so starved that they resembled canine skeletons wearing fur coats.

There were dogs with tapeworms, and some had more serious heartworms, Cathcart said. Many are not spayed or neutered, have dental issues, and are on strict liquid diets while they get nursed back to health. One dog had to be euthanized.

All these health issues have to be resolved before the dogs can be released for adoption. Cathcart said animal shelters around the state have stepped up and offered to take in what animals they can. Beth White, manager of North Country Animal League in Morristown, said NCAL has taken in seven dogs and may get more.

Cathcart said Merchant voluntarily released the dogs, which was the best way to make sure the dogs didn’t have to go through more trauma than necessary. In early reports, Anne Ward, director of operations for the Central Vermont Humane Society, said this is “a classic case of an overwhelmed rescuer who didn’t know where to turn for help.”

But some local dog rescuers aren’t buying that.

Claudia Stauber of Lamoille County’s Justice for Dogs said Merchant’s place had been on her organization’s radar for a while. She isn’t sure who tipped police to the situation, but is glad someone did. Still, she said her group “had no idea to the extent” of how the dogs were being kept.

“They were literally rotting alive,” Stauber said. “It’s just horrendous.”

Patricia Ingraham of Wolcott said she and her partner bought a pit bull from Merchant 13 years ago. They paid $50 for the puppy — which they named Justus — even though Merchant had been advertising the pups as free. Ingraham said that, even back then, the conditions were “absolutely scary.”

“We walked into her house and there were dead cats in crates,” she said. “I was so heartbroken. I actually wanted to take two (puppies), but she wanted 50 bucks. The dogs I actually saw were healthy, but the house was disgusting.”

Ingraham said her partner made some phone calls reporting Merchant’s operation, but didn’t see any results. Until last week.

Now, Justus is still around, and “every time someone says we have a cute dog, we were always, like, well, let me tell you this story.”

Cathcart said dogs are resilient, and after just a day or two away from their squalid former home, the pups had already started to mend, and not just physically. Their lodgings were still spare, just a small kennel. But they were in clean quarters, with blankets to cuddle with and toys to gnaw on, and they were given four walks a day.

“These animals were so happy to be in a kennel,” Cathcart said. “It is so uplifting to watch the responses of these animals to good care.”