NH Great Dane Abuser Appeals Conviction

CONCORD, NH — A New Hampshire woman found guilty of abusing dozens of Great Danes is reportedly appealing her conviction. The Great Danes were rescued last year in one of the state's most notorious animal abuse cases. Dog breeder Christina Fay was convicted of 17 animal cruelty charges for keeping 75 Great Danes — many of them sick — in "filthy, unsanitary" conditions at her Wolfeboro mansion. Fay failed to give the dogs enough water, among other transgressions. She avoided jail but was ordered to pay $1.9 million to the Humane Society of the United States, which has been sheltering the animals.

Fay's lawyers filed a notice of appeal with the New Hampshire Supreme Court regarding the case, according to The Associated Press.

The Great Danes are now up for adoption and being placed with foster families.

The case gained national attention and led Governor Chris Sununu to approve more regulations for so-called puppy mills like the one Fay ran.

"I'm gutted," Fay told media outlets after her sentencing hearing in May. "I lost everything I love."

A veterinarian who toured Fay's Wolfeboro home said the conditions were the "worst she had ever seen."

"There was a pervasive ammonia odor, so strong that veterinarians and others with experience working in kennels, and with large groups of animals, were unable to remain in the (Wolfeboro) home without taking frequent breaks to get fresh air," a judge wrote after Fay was convicted of 17 counts of animal abuse. "The dogs were forced to live in filthy, unsanitary conditions. Some were lying for many days in their own feces and urine and it was covering their coats."

Previous:

• Abused NH Great Danes Get Second Chance At Life
• NH Dog Breeder Who Abused 75 Great Danes Avoids Jail

Photo: Some of the Great Danes seized at New Hampshire dog breeder Christina Fay's Wolfeboro residence in 2017. (Credit: The Humane Society of the United States)