This Time The Town Is Not On The Hook For Their Care
By Doug La Rocque
State Police say a neighbor on Jay Hakes Road alerted them to a large number of dogs chained to buildings and trucks at an abandoned trailer home, the animals left without shelter from the extreme cold. Troopers identified the owner as 83 year old Ed Maxfield. They say his son had been feeding the dogs twice a day, but they were without water, as their dishes had long since frozen over. [private]
The Mohawk Hudson Humane Society was called in to remove the dogs, 16 in all, including four puppies. They are being cared for at the shelter in Menands. The dogs are described as Pitbull-Rottweiler mixes. Troopers say Maxfield also had four cats that are still loose. Traps have been set to catch the felines and bring them to the shelter as well. Troopers indicate they acted quickly on the complaint, as temperatures that night were predicted to reach 20 below in Grafton.
State Police say Maxfield has not been charged at this time, primarily because the animals were being fed and he has signed over custody of them, so the shelter can place them up for adoption. Grafton Town Supervisor Ingrid Gundrum said that unlike the case involving two horses and other animals last September, “the Town was not involved in the seizure, and is not being charged for their care.”
Costello Case Postponed Again
That is not the case in the seizure of animals from the home of Michael and Erica Costello of Old Road. The Mohawk Hudson Humane Society has so far charged the Town of Grafton more than $10,000. The good news here however, is that the shelter has agreed to suspend billing until the matter is resolved. That may take a while. All parties were due back in Grafton Town Court recently, but the matter was again adjourned, this time to March 8. The attorney for the Costellos, David Gruenberg, said he is still waiting for a final copy of the search warrant issued in the case, along with other matters of discovery. He says it is likely to end up in a jury trial.
The Costellos were each charged with seven counts of failing to provide sustenance and one count each of creating a condition that endangers others. This charge is the result of the Costellos allegedly leaving the body of a dead horse near the roadway for several days. If convicted, they could face fines of $500 for each count and up to three months in jail.[/private]