Owner of Middleboro kennel where dogs were rescued will be allowed to keep animals
MIDDLEBORO — The owner of a commercial kennel where more than 20 dogs were seized in September will be allowed to keep animals.
As conditions of release, owner Michael Perette can only possess the number allowed through his commercial kennel license and must allow random inspections at his property to ensure sanitary conditions for the animals, according to the Plymouth County district attorney’s office.
The maximum number of dogs he can keep at his commercial kennel is 10, according to town bylaws.
Perette has a valid kennel license through the end of the year, according to the town clerk’s office.
He has not yet renewed the license, said Town Clerk Allison Ferreira, but owners have until the end of March to renew before being charged a late fee. In addition, an inspection is needed for a kennel to obtain or renew a license.
Perette was arraigned Monday in Wareham District Court on 28 charges of felony animal abuse neglect and abuse misdemeanors. He was released on personal recognizance.
His lawyer was not available for comment Thursday.
In September, the Animal Rescue League of Boston worked with Middleboro police and Animal Control to remove 21 dogs, birds and a donkey from his commercial kennel.
The organization described the conditions the animals were living in as “poorly ventilated, unsanitary, cruel and dangerous.”
The dogs were kept in steel cages with concrete floors covered in waste, according to the group. The space had little natural light and the animals didn’t get outside much.
An ARL spokesman declined to comment because Perette’s case is ongoing in court. He referred questions to the district attorney’s office.
The organization didn’t identify the kennel, but The Enterprise learned it was called Peretti Cane Corso and is located at 398 Marion Road.
The town approved its operation in 2012.
“It’s a vision for us,” Perette said told the Zoning Board of Appeals prior to receiving approval. “We strive to improve the health, temperament ... during the ‘preservation stages’ of breeding.”
Dogs removed from the kennel in September were taken to ARL locations in Boston and Dedham and municipal facilities around the state, including in Mansfield and Norton.
Many of the dogs faced trauma from the previous conditions they lived in. Breeding was the dogs’ main purpose and they weren’t socialized and trained like other dogs often are, said Laney Nee, animal behavior manager for the Animal Rescue League of Boston.
A month after being rescued, they were doing better and getting used to a new environment, she said.
The dogs were made available for adoption. So far, several have found new homes, according to the organization.
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