What to Know
- A New Jersey man living in squalor with more than 40 dogs will face multiple charges, officials announced Wednesday
- Evelio Calderon, 40, was discovered with dozens of dogs living in “severely unsanitary and inhumane living conditions," official say
- Despite medical conditions, the dogs are expected to survive; The animals have been treated and taken to shelters in New Jersey
A New Jersey man living in squalor with more than 40 dogs will face multiple charges, officials announced Wednesday.
Evelio Calderon, 40, of Roselle, was discovered with dozens of dogs living in “severely unsanitary and inhumane living conditions in his home last week,” the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said in a joint statement.
The prosecutor’s office says that Calderon will be charged with multiple criminal offences in connection to the treatment of the dogs rescued.
On June 14, members of the Roselle Police Department and Roselle Board of Health searched his home wearing full hazmat suits where they allegedly found animals living in squalor, locked inside and forced to relieve themselves indoors.
According to officials, the dogs ranged in age from puppies to seniors, varying in breed and size.
Several of the dogs were allegedly treated on site for acute injuries that included open sores, malnourishment, joint problems and eye issues.
Local
The prosecutor’s office says that despite the medical issues, most of the dogs were expected to survive, adding that two of the dogs were suspected to be suffering from shock and taken to local veterinarians for immediate emergency treatment.
Members of Traveling Paws Animal Rescue in Cranford, New Jersey, assisted in attending to the dogs, which were taken to shelters across New Jersey, including the St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, The Last Resort Animal Rescue in West Milford, and the Edison and Montclair municipal animal shelters.
It is not immediately clear if Calderon attained an attorney who could comment on the pending charges.
