After Sharon McDonough’s eldest son turned her in to authorities, 5 dogs and a cat were found in terrible condition in filthy cages at her home. The remains of 20 dogs were excavated from the backyard and are being checked for microchips. Local residents whose pets have gone missing in past are fearful they may have been victims of cruelty at the home.
Douglas McDonough, 21, who turned his mother in to authorities on Nov. 5, called the home “a concentration camp for the animals” in comments to reporters after the arrest.
“She would have the oldest kids hold down the dog while we duct-taped his mouth and she would hit him,” he said, adding that he and his sisters were all forced to take part in the abuse.
On Tuesday, a judge removed the six girls — ages 18 months to 13 years — from the custody of McDonough, who is widowed. Her court-appointed attorney, James D’Angelo, called the animal cruelty counts a “low-level offense.”
Let’s hope the charges get increased to a level more impressive to the attorney and better fitting to the allegations.