Andover dog rescue owner charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty

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    ANDOVER, Minnesota (WCCO) — A 36-year-old St. Paul woman was charged with 22 counts of animal mistreatment after her rescue was deemed uninhabitable late last year, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday.

Police launched an investigation into Carley Ryan’s dog rescue “For Furever” in Andover after the bodies of eight deceased dogs were dumped in Cottage Grove on Oct. 18, 2023.

An investigator went to the rescue and reported a strong smell of feces from the exterior of the building and said he was able to see six to eight dogs running loose in the building while a significant number of other dogs were in kennels.

The next day, the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the rescue while Ryan was present.

Upon entering the building, deputies were “met with an overwhelming odor of feces and urine.” Several dogs were loose, and the floor was wet and covered in a layer of excrement, according to the criminal complaint.

After all the animals had been removed from the building, a reading of the ammonia levels inside revealed readings from 44.7 ppm to 48.1 ppm. The smell of ammonia can be detected at 5 ppm. Increased levels and exposure to ammonia can potentially cause lifelong issues.

Investigators say that a total of 22 dogs were removed from the rescue. They reported that the dogs had been housed in cages that were not large enough and lacked bedding and access to food and water.

All of the dogs underwent a medical examination at the Animal Humane Society, where it was found none of them were healthy enough to be adopted without some form of treatment first. Additionally, all of the dogs had some form of fecal or urinary scald on their feet and urine staining or feces matted into their coat, according to charges.

Ryan allegedly admitted to investigators that she had acquired the puppies from an auction a few weeks earlier and that they had contracted Parvo Virus, a highly contagious but treatable condition. She said that two puppies died on Oct. 2 and the eighth final one died on Oct. 7 or 8. None of the puppies had received care from a licensed veterinarian.

Charging documents state that Ryan indicated that the dogs had died naturally and had not been euthanized before she dumped their bodies in Cottage Grove.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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