Crime & Safety
Town Sued After Seizing 22 Beagles from Salem Breeder
A local man is seeking undisclosed damages in an eight-count suit filed after the man's 15 animal cruelty charges were dismissed.
A Salem dog breeder fully cleared of 15 charges in an animal cruelty case last year has sued the town and the Salem Police Department for illegally seizing 22 beagles and handing them over to animal shelters without his permission, according to the Union Leader.
John Kalamaras, 58, has also named Salem Animal Control Officer Corey Bliss and Salem Police Chief Paul Donovan in his eight-count suit in Rockingham Superior Court. The suit alleges that the department didn't secure a search warrant before seizing the dogs, and that police didn't notify Kalamaras of his right to use the court system to stop the dogs' transfer to animal shelters, according to the Union Leader.
Kalamaras' dogs were allegedly found covered in their own feces and urine with no access to water on March 16, 2012, police have said. The charges, which were dropped in court in September 2012, related to the care, shelter and sustenance of the beagles.
[Read the full Union Leader story here.]
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