Hudson man face 9 counts of animal neglect

A Hudson man has been charged with nine counts of animal neglect after officers were tipped off and later located pigs, ducks, and a chicken that allegedly had no access to food or water on a property in Hancock. 

Officers also located deceased animals on the property after they had obtained a search warrant on Bennington Road, according to a press release sent by Police Chief Andrew Wood. The animals involved included a guinea hog, two Tamworth pigs, a Yorkshire cross pig, two mallard ducks, two Peking ducks, and a red chicken, all class B misdemeanors. 

Thomas Walsh, 37, was arrested in early April after officers were tipped off to the situation and later obtained a search warrant for the property. Walsh has entered a not guilty plea in court on all charges. 

Attempts to reach Walsh were unsuccessful. The piece of property, 280 Bennington Road, is posted for no trespassing. 

Officers were tipped off to the situation at the end of March from a concerned neighbor. The caller told police they hadn’t seen anyone coming in or out of their neighbor’s property on Bennington Road for quite some time and were concerned for the animals.

The caller said they had walked down to check the chicken coop that could be seen from the road and found that the animals had no access to food or water. 

Hancock officers met with the subjects at the land to check the welfare of the animals on the property, according to the news release. The officers walked to the barn and a paddock area to check for further animals and discovered an injured pig in the barn and several other pigs in a penned area. Officers also found deceased animals on the property, too. None of the living animals appeared to have access to food or water, the release reads.

Officials provided all of the animals with food and water, according to the release. 

On April 1, Hancock officers contacted a local veterinarian regarding the animals. The vet said the pigs needed to be quarantined until they had been treated more extensively. The next day, officers contacted the state veterinarian’s office and spoke to them about the condition of the animals. 

Wood said in an email on Thursday that the animals are no longer on the property. He said they have been placed, although he did not say where. 

A pre-trial conference has been set for Aug. 8. in district court in Jaffrey.