A man faces 50 counts of animal cruelty after as many animals were seized from his home in Watertown on Tuesday during what police described as an “animal hoarding” investigation.
Martin Oliver, 52, was arrested after authorities carried out a search and seizure warrant at a residence on Cobb Street, according to Dep. Chief Renee Dominguez of the Watertown Police Department.
Dominguez said police assisted the town’s animal control division and other area animal control officers in carrying out the search warrant, seizing seven dogs, 18 puppies and 25 cats or kittens.
Oliver is scheduled to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Oct. 14.
“The Watertown Police Department would like to thank all the surrounding agencies that assisted in the removal and housing of the seized animals, as well as the Roxbury Animal Clinic for providing on site veterinary staff to evaluate and treat each animal,” Dominguez said in a statement. “Without their help we would have not been able to successfully remove and house the animals.”
According to Dominguez, the investigation was led by Animal Control Officer Emily Mosakowski, who was assisted by Det. Avelina Rivera. The animal control officers who assisted came from the Wolcott, Southington, Bristol, Woodbridge, West Hartford, North Haven and the Branford Police Departments as well as the State of Connecticut Animal Control and Southbury Animal Control.
