Sussex County dogs need homes

More animal cruelty charges for former Suffolk man

By Tracy Agnew (Contact) | Suffolk News-Herald

Published Friday, May 22, 2009

These dogs are some of the 73 animals that were seized from John Boudiette’s Sussex County home in March. Boudiette was arrested May 14 on 10 counts of animal cruelty.

In 2003, John G. Boudiette was charged with animal cruelty for keeping more than 100 dogs in filthy conditions at his residence near the Suffolk airport. As a result, a judge told him he could never again own a dog in Suffolk.

Now, he has been arrested again for animal cruelty – this time in Sussex County.

On May 14, Boudiette was arrested on 10 counts of animal cruelty in connection with the March 23 seizure of 73 animals, which included one Vietnamese potbellied pig and 72 dogs, according to Sussex County Deputy County Administrator George E. Morrison III.

“From what I understood, the animals were being fed bread and water,” Morrison said. “That’s not a good healthy diet for an animal. That’s what you fed prisoners, and we can’t even do that anymore.”

According to the Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac, the dogs were being neglected and lacked proper water, food, shelter and veterinary care. They were being kept in run-down, dirty pens, dog houses and crates, according to the group’s Web site.

The group Sussex County Animal Pound Aides reported in its newsletter that the dogs were living in crates so small they couldn’t move, and some had broken bones.

For the last two months, the dogs – most of them Labradors of all colors – have been slowly finding homes. Many of them were taken and adopted out by the Lab Rescue of the LRCP, Morrison said. Still others have been adopted out from Sussex’s pound. Only about half a dozen remain at the Sussex pound, which committed not to euthanize the dogs.

“We’re making every attempt to find homes,” Morrison said. “The ones still in the pound are excellent dogs. They are a little bit older, which may be the reason they haven’t been adopted as quickly as the puppies did.”

All the animals are now in good health after being treated for various results of their neglect, including parasites and infections, Morrison said. He’s eager to help them find homes.

“We’re more than happy to get them adopted out as quickly as possible to loving, caring homes,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is that these animals finally be treated humanely.”

For more information on how you can help find homes for the last few dogs, call 434-246-2167.

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