TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – A Tuesday night fire in Arlington that killed six adult dogs is under investigation by several agencies, including the Dutchess County SPCA (DCSPCA), which issued conflicting reports about their involvement.
The fire in a detached garage at 22 Lewis Avenue in the Town of Poughkeepsie brought several Arlington FD firefighters and Town of Poughkeepsie Police to the scene. The original story can be read HERE.
Several Bull Terriers (Pit Bulls) were located in and around the scene. Many of them were injured in the fire. Police officials contacted the DCSPCA repeatedly, asking them to respond to the scene. They were slow to respond, based on eyewitness accounts. That slow response by the SPCA forced the Town of Poughkeepsie police officers to take at least three injured dogs from firefighters and transport them to emergency veterinary clinics in Wappingers Falls and Kingston.
The day after the fire, DCSPCA Executive Director Lynne Meloccaro issued a statement that contradicted the actual facts at the fire. Radio communications indicated a delayed response from the SPCA. On Wednesday, Meloccaro, who makes more than $106,000 to run the organization, issued a press release with several misstatements.
The original statement from Meloccaro on Wednesday said in part “DCSPCA Officers arrived on the scene shortly after 7:30 p.m. and transported animals to the animal emergency clinic.” That was untrue. The DCSPCA did not transport any animals from the fire.
Mid-Hudson News challenged the account given by the DCSPCA. Meloccaro said their “After Hours Animal Control Officer” responded to the scene and “transported one dog to the Kingston emergency animal clinic.” The director went on to say “I believe the police took two other dogs to Arlington Animal Hospital,” adding, “This morning we picked up those two dogs, and now all three are safe with us at DCSPCA where they are receiving further medical attention.” The Mid-Hudson News reporter that was actually at the fire disputed the account from the DCSPCA director.
When questioned further, the DCSPCA executive director recanted her original statements and admitted to misstating the facts. “We did not take any animals last night – all went to the hospital,” Meloccaro said. “We picked them up today when they were discharged.”
Meloccaro avoided addressing the false statements she issued and said that the incident is now an active humane law investigation that cannot be discussed, noting that the canines are now considered “evidence.”
