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NEWFIELD, N.Y. — Two Newfield resident have been identified after 28 animals were seized from their Newfield residence last week.
Kevin Pierce and Courtney Cotter are being investigated in regard to the seizure, though no charges have been filed against them as of Tuesday morning, SPCA Executive Director Jim Bouderau said.
He said charges may be filed after officials determine the outcome of four rabbits’ health concerns. They’re still being monitored by medical professionals.
Related: Update: 28 animals seized, 3 found dead at Newfield trailer (Photos)
Bouderau said 12 of the 28 animals taken from the trailer have been adopted since last week.
It’s the second time Pierce and Cotter have had a large number of animals seized by officials.
98 animals seized in 2010
Five years ago on Jan. 27, officials seized 98 animals from a one-bedroom trailer at 18 Creamery Road in Brooktondale.
According to court documents from the town of Caroline court, officials took 36 cats, 51 dogs, 6 guinea pigs, three chinchillas and two rats.
The floor and walls of the trailer, the records state, were covered in feces and urine. Several dogs were kept in wire crates with no access to food or water.
The records state that the only available food left out for the animals was 1/2 of a cup of dog food covered in mold and 1/4 cup of water.
“Upon entering the residence, the odors of animal feces, urine and decomposing animals were overpowering” investigators wrote in the court documents.
A dead cat and two dead guinea pigs were found at the trailer, and one dog had to be euthanized for displaying “extreme aggression.”
Nearly all the animals had intestinal parasites, which later resulted in an outbreak of Giardia — a microscopic parasite that causes diarrheal illness — at the SPCA.
The documents state that Cotter and Pierce both accepted a plea deal for misdemeanor animal cruelty and were sentenced to three years of probation.
According to WBNG News, the pair were originally charged with 39 counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals and 39 additional counts of failure to provide proper sustenance, food, and water.
Disclosure: Reporter Jolene Almendarez is a volunteer at the SPCA.
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