BY DARRELL HALEN
Approximately 40 dogs, including rottweilers and pugs, were removed from a Salem woman’s home that was condemned by town officials.
Christine Harris, 54, 75 South Policy Street, was arrested after she allegedly refused to allow the town’s animal control officer, armed with a search warrant, to inspect her trailer home on Friday, Sept. 14.
She is also charged with simple assault for allegedly pushing a tow truck driver who came to remove an unregistered vehicle from her home.
Deputy Police Chief Bill Ganley said cages removed from the trailer were dirty with ***.
“They were stacked on top of each other,” he said. “The air was very poor, not just for animals but for a human. It smelled like dog ***, a bad situation,” he said.
Animal control officer Kelly Demers had gone to Harris’ home and attempted to serve a search warrant to inspect the animals in her trailer.
According to Ganley, she did not answer her door, and when a tow truck driver arrived, she came out of her house and assaulted him.
She refused to allow Demers to enter the home, according to Ganley.
By refusing to allow him to do so, Harris committed a misdemeanor offense, according to police.
Ganley said that two tow truck drivers who came to the trailer were each there to remove an unregistered car from Harris’ property and were there independent of what the town was doing.
Water had been shut off to Harris’ trailer. Ganley said there appeared to be water jugs in a truck by the trailer.
Both charges against Harris are misdemeanors, punishable of up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine. The animals are being cared for in area shelters.
“Results of the inspection – it’s unclear if we’re going to bring additional charges,” Ganley said. “We’re looking at animal cruelty issues.”
Ganley said that Demers previously responded to a call that animals were running loose from Harris’ property. When Demers went to talk with her, he could hear many dogs barking and wanted to know if she was operating a kennel, which has to be licensed.
Harris would not allow Demers to come inside, so he sought the search warrant, Ganley said.