Groton Police: Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty In Mystic Had Operated Puppy Mill In Massachusetts

The Mystic woman charged with animal cruelty had been living under a false name and previously had been arrested for operating a puppy mill in Massachusetts, according to the Groton Town Police report filed in New London Superior Court.

Linda Snow, 59, who police said was living under the name Mary Howard, was charged Thursday with criminal impersonation, cruelty to animals and interfering with police.

Police found five dogs in her home at 59 Oslo St. suffering from various stages of neglect.

“They had matted and knotted hair which had pieces of dog feces entangled in it,” the police report said. “They were kept in crates and rooms that reeked of foul animal waste. No water or food was set for the dogs.”

The police report said Snow had a false Connecticut driver’s license and car registration.

She has eight arrest warrants for violation of probation, according to the report. She was arrested for animal cruelty for operating a puppy mill in Massachusetts, and part of her probation was she was not to leave the state or sell any dogs, the report said.

Police said they discovered the dogs after receiving a call about a man who was believed to be Snow’s husband.

The report gave this account of how they discovered the dogs:

In January, Snow brought a man to the Old Mystic Fire Department for medical help. She identified herself as Mary Howard and said the man was her husband, Michael Howard.  He was taken to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, and a Groton Town Police officer brought Snow to the hospital to be with her husband.

Then the report said this happened: About a month later, police received a call from a social worker at the hospital, saying Michael Howard was in a vegetative state and his wife had not been back to see him. They were trying to reach her, the report said.

The report said police then discovered the address Snow had provided – 35 Oslo St. - didn’t exist, and saw the van registered to Mary Howard in another driveway instead – 59 Oslo Street.

Police said they also interviewed the property owner, who said he was renting the house to a couple by the name of Howard.

The report said police then went to the hospital, fingerprinted Michael Howard, ran the prints at the FBI, and identified him as Mark Zimmerman, who has a criminal history from Florida, Texas and Massachusetts.

“During Zimmerman’s arrest in Massachusetts, a co-defendant was a woman named Linda Snow,” the police report said. Police found that the photo on the driver’s license Snow was using matched her mug shot from Massachusetts, the report said.

Police then went to the house and found the dogs.

“…The search team was met with the overpowering odor of dog urine and feces,” the report said. The dogs were taken to a veterinary clinic for evaluation and cleaning.

Bond for snow was set at $50,000; her case was continued until Feb. 23.