75 Abused NH Great Danes Get Second Chance At Life

WOLFEBORO, NH — Dozens of abused New Hampshire Great Danes are receiving a second chance at life. 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 animal cruelty charges for keeping 75 Great Danes — many of them sick — in "filthy, unsanitary" conditions at her Wolfeboro mansion. She failed to give the dogs enough water, among other transgressions. Fay avoided jail but was ordered to pay $1.9 million to the Humane Society of the United States, which has been sheltering the animals.

"This is a remarkable victory for the dogs," Humane Society President Kitty Block said in a statement. "Our priority has always been to ensure that the dogs be placed into suitable and loving homes and we are thrilled that they will now get that chance."

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 earlier this month. "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."

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Lead photo: One of the Great Danes seized from New Hampshire dog breeder Christina Fay exercises at a Humane Society facility after being rescued. (Credit: The Humane Society of the United States)