By Darrell Halen

 

Salem police said they discovered 22 dogs – including three dead ones – in a Massachusetts woman’s sport utility vehicle parked at a local store.

Police said they went to Wal-Mart on North Broadway around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 16, after a customer reported overhearing two women in the store talking about having dogs in their vehicle, including several that were dead.

The customer identified the women to police when they left the store. The women told police they had been driving all night from Maine and had a large number of dogs in the vehicle. One of them, Amy Moolic, 32, of Dracut, Mass., led police to her Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Police said the dogs were in small kennels, about three or four animals to each crate. An adult female and two puppies were dead but the cause of death is not known. There were no signs of abuse, according to police.

Moolic claimed that she had rescued a dozen of the dogs from a “puppy mill” in Somerville, Maine, and that the other 10 belonged to her, said Sgt. James Chase.

Some of the dogs were shih tzus and chihuahuas, according to Chase.

Kelly Demers, the town’s animal control officer, took custody of the dogs, but police said Moolic would be able to retrieve four of them immediately.

Moolic became very agitated and belligerent in the parking lot, according to police. She was charged with being a disorderly person and interfering with a police officer, both misdemeanor charges.

Moolic was released on $500 cash bail and is expected to appear in Salem District Court on Feb. 25.

Police said their investigation is continuing and additional charges may be filed.