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51 Dogs Rescued From House In Pasadena Looking For New Homes

PASADENA, Md. (WJZ) --- More than 50 dogs were rescued from a home in Anne Arundel County.  The man who owned all of those dogs is speaking to WJZ.

Kelly McPherson explains criminal charges could soon be filed.

Inside a Pasadena home, Animal Control found 51 dogs who are now up for adoption, but their owner swears he's not a hoarder.

"I didn't start out to see how many dogs I could accumulate," said Charles Richard.

Neighbors have smelled the problem for years.

"When you go for a walk and you head toward the park, you're going to go right by it.  On a warm day, you wanted to go by fast and try not to breathe," said Amanda Ferrell.

"I always hear dogs yapping inside, but 51?!" said a neighbor.

"It wasn't easy.  It was stressful every day.  It's a relief, but I'm just sorry that we ever got to this," Richard said.

Richard says this all began 10 or 15 years ago when he and his wife bought a small poodle.  Then they started breeding and then, he says, it just got out of hand.

"We were breeding them; we were selling them.  Things slowed down, it just grew.  It just snowballed," Richard said.

He wanted to give away the animals but worried about Animal Control filing charges.  Instead, he continued to secretly care for so many dogs that he didn't even know the number was up to 51.

"I wish it had never happened and I assure you, I get out of this jam and it won't ever happen again," Richard said.

The county executive's office says the Richards are in violation of a fancier license law by having more than four dogs.  That carries a $50 fine.

Forty-eight of the dogs are up for adoption in Anne Arundel County.  The other three are pregnant and being cared for by the local SPCA.

For more information, call 410-222-8900 or click here.

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