18 malnourished dogs rescued from Malden home, animal cruelty charges filed

The Animal Rescue League of Boston rescued 18 malnourished dogs from a home in Malden earlier this month and has since filed animal cruelty charges.

ARL law enforcement said they filed 18 counts of animal cruelty and 18 counts of violating state tethering and confinement law against the Malden resident , Jennifer Ahn.

ARL Boston said in a press release Wednesday that its Law Enforcement Division, Malden Police and Malden Animal Control executed a search warrant at Ahn’s Malden home on Dec. 2 for remove the dogs, which she said were living in unsanitary conditions.

Once removed from the home, ARL Boston said, the majority of the dogs were taken to ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center. A few needed further care and were taken to an animal hospital, but have since been returned to ARL Boston for continued treatment.

“The majority of dogs are extremely poorly cared for, with overgrown nails, matted fur, fur loss and moderate to severe dental disease,” ARL Boston wrote in the statement.

Dogs that were underweight are now following refeeding plans to ensure they gain weight slowly and safely, ARL Boston said. The majority of them will spend time in foster care where they will have a calm and comforting environment in which to recover.

Nearly half of the dogs have been emancipated, ARL Boston said, but it’s unclear if and when they will be put up for adoption.