OLD LYME—Animal Control Officer Lynn Philemon told the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting on Monday that the weeks following the July seizure of 20 dogs, five birds and two chinchillas have been exhausting but important.

“I have no sleep at all, no vacation … and I’m glad I did it because I’ve been trying to get those poor animals away from those people for two years,” she said. 

Her job over the past few months has included writing a search warrant, seizing the animals from the small home on Miami Avenue where they were allegedly hoarded, taking them for extensive and frequent medical appointments, and lining up foster homes where they can recuperate before finding their permanent families. 

It’s a job she takes home with her. 

Among the animals living with Philemon currently are a dam (the female parent of litter of puppies) and a couple of older dogs seized from the property. The latter all require medical attention and the mom is “going to pop any minute” with an expected litter of four puppies, she said. 

The 27 animals were seized after concerns were brought to Philemon in late June about an animal hoarding situation in Cheshire with ties to the Old Lyme house, according to civil court documents. Repeated welfare checks conducted at the beach area bungalow went unanswered before resident Nancy Guest allowed Philemon and a local police officer to come inside. 

The documents described officers finding up to 20 dogs covered in urine and feces amid “deplorable” conditions.

After the search and seizure warrant was executed on July 28, court documents show the Ledge Light Health District deemed the residence unfit for habitation. 

No arrests have been made yet in connection with the Old Lyme case. In Cheshire, the state’s judicial website shows Guest and two others were arrested and charged Sept. 10 with 19 counts of  animal cruelty. 

When Shoemaker described Philemon’s new skills compiling search warrant and arrest warrant as a resumé builder, the animal control officer agreed.

“That was the first time I’ve ever had to do that in my 21 years, believe it or not,” she said.

Five of the dogs initially signed over to the town have been adopted, according to Philemon. The remainder of the dogs are in foster homes because of severe medical needs that need to be addressed before they can be adopted.  

There are also three five-week old puppies and two three-week old puppies from two dams. 

“A lot of them are not housebroken. They were let out twice a day. There was 20 of them in a small house,” she said. 

Though she recounted hundreds of calls coming in to the animal control facility from would-be adopters, she told selectmen many of the animals aren’t ready yet. 

“They need time to decompress and everything,” she said. “I’m not going to put them in a bad situation.” 

Two of the birds have been placed in new homes, while one remains hospitalized. The two chinchillas on Monday went to stay with a veterinarian for exotic animals who she said is in the process of adopting them. 

First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker said medical bills amounted to roughly $11,000 to $14,000 before Guest surrendered the dogs to the town. The town will look to recoup the costs through the legal process. 

“If we have to do a lien, we’ll do a lien,” she said. 

Now, Philemon is coordinating donations from concerned individuals and organizations and is planning an Oct. 4 fundraiser to cover ongoing medical expenses. She cited heart issues, mammary tumors, hernia removal and extensive dental treatments as some examples. 

“Every single one of those poor dogs had black teeth. Even the young ones,” Philemon said. “It’s bad. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

She said coverage during the shelter’s most crowded period following the seizure required three shifts of two people each, including the assistant animal control officer and temporary help hired by the town.  

Then there were the day-to-day situations, such as roaming dogs found in the streets, that tested the already strapped operation as staff members looked for space in the hallways and back room surrounding the kennels. 

“It was nuts,” she said. “Just nuts.” 

The Oct. 4 PAWtoberfest fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Machnik Drive animal shelter includes a live band, Lyme-Old Lyme Lions Club food tent, local vendors and raffles. Application forms to adopt some of the dogs will be available at the event.

Dogs are invited to attend the event, which will also benefit the Presents for Paws nonprofit organization distributing pet food and supplies to animal shelters across the state.

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to reflect information received from Lynn Philemon regarding where some of the dogs are currently housed.