New Bedford Police Seeking Animal Cruelty Suspect After 21 Dogs Rescued Read More: New Bedford Pd Seek Animal Cruelty Suspect After 21 Dogs Rescued

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — A New Bedford man is facing 39 animal cruelty charges as well as drug charges after 21 dogs had to be rescued from his apartment due to unsanitary and dangerous conditions.

New Bedford Animal Control officers and detectives initiated an investigation on July 8 and said that upon arriving at the home at 184 Myrtle Street, they detected a pungent odor of urine and feces in the apartment, and multiple dogs were heard barking.

Police said the tenant, Derrick Ambrose, 35, fled the house before animal control officers arrived.

It’s reported that 12 Cane Corso dogs were discovered in cages within the attic, with temperatures allegedly over 100 degrees.

Police then found nine French bull-mixed dogs in the third floor apartment.

According to police, some bulldogs were loose in the apartment, and some were caged. They said none of the dogs had adequate access to food or water.

Some dogs were also reported to have had overgrown nails, which prevented them from walking normally.

Police described the conditions as unsanitary.

After further investigations, police recovered over nine grams of fentanyl, over 25 grams of crack cocaine, Adderall, oxycodone, mushrooms and marijuana found in the apartment.

They also found vacuum sealers, packaging materials and digital scales, all used in the processing and packaging of illegal narcotics for street-level sales.

A warrant has been requested for Ambrose for 39 counts of animal cruelty and numerous narcotics-related charges, including trafficking over 18 grams of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute Classes A, B, C, D, and E.

Police said Ambrose also has an extensive criminal history with 67 adult arraignments and convictions for a variety of offenses, possession and discharge of a firearm, and possession of a dangerous weapon.

He has two previous convictions for dealing cocaine, one for dealing fentanyl, and one for dealing marijuana.

At the time of this arrest, he had three open cases in Falmouth District Court and nine open cases in New Bedford District Court.

Police are asking anyone with information on Ambrose’s whereabouts to contact the New Bedford Police Department by calling 508-99-CRIME.

 

Do It For the Animals: Here’s How to Help Forever Paws Animal Shelter in Fall River

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Forever Paws and support from the community is crucial. Can’t volunteer? Don’t worry, here are a few other ways you can help.

Gallery Credit: Maddie Levine

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Volunteer

The biggest impact on animal shelters is the number of volunteers. Forever Paws hosts a volunteer orientation every month for ages 16 and up, and it’s a great way to assist the small staff in improving the quality of life for the animals.

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How a Volunteer Helps

While playing with the animals is a nice perk, volunteers will also help with the shelter’s operation, from mopping the floors and washing high-contact surface areas, to stocking, organizing, and feeding animals. And yes, you can play with them, too.

Maddie Levine/Townsquare Media

Sharing Social Media Posts

The more attention the animals can receive, the better. Sharing posts puts out by the shelter makes it even more likely that the animal will find its forever family.

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Donations

The shelter runs solely on donations, so it is extremely important to stock up on food and essentials as often as possible. Forever Paws has an Amazon Wish List and Chewy Wish List that is constantly updated with what is needed at the shelter.

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Toys Are Always Welcomed

And no matter what is on its wish list, the shelter will always accept more toys. The animals will thank you.

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Gas Cards

Here is a donation you may not have thought about. Gas cards are a huge help for a shelter. All animals at Forever Paws are transported back and forth to animal shelters across the SouthCoast. Gas cards help immensely.

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Fostering Animals

Fostering is always helpful for busy shelters like Forever Paws. With the help of an amazing group of foster caregivers, Forever Paws Foster Program gives animals who are not yet ready for adoption a chance to live and be loved in foster homes. If you think you might be interested in being a foster home, visit the shelter’s website.

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Adopt

The goal is always to find these animals the perfect forever home. With a 97% adoption rate, Forever Paws is committed to getting their animals into the hands of loving families. This little girl was spotlighted on Wet Nose Wednesday. Maybe Marigold is perfect for you?

 

 

Items Dangerous to Animals That You Have in Your Yard

We spoke with Wild Care Cape Cod Executive Director Stephanie Ellis about the dangers of many everyday yard items and how they can affect the wildlife we know and love. Here are some of the dangers your yard may present to animals and how you can reduce their risk.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Ron Chapple studios

Carved Pumpkins

Yes, carving up a jack-o’-lantern is family fun every fall, but it can also lead to some serious sickness in pets and wildlife. As Stephanie Ellis of Wild Care Cape Cod informed us, “Don’t leave moldy pumpkins out for decoration.”

 

The carved pumpkins tend to rot faster than un-carved pumpkins and that can mean growing toxic fungi. If you notice your jack-o’-lanterns are getting moldy, it is time to get them off your porch. Both pets and wildlife have been known to take bites of moldy pumpkins and make themselves extremely sick. For animals both free and tamed, get the moldy pumpkins disposed of ASAP.

Maria Symchych-Navrotska

Halloween Decorations

Halloween is a great time to deck out the yard for trick-or-treaters, but be careful what you decorate with. Though Ellis tells us they have yet to experience any Halloween decoration incidents with animals at Wild Care Cape Cod, she did say fake spider webs on bushes have been known to entangle birds.

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Lobster Traps

Like the cute chipmunk caught on the Cape, lobster traps in yards and at boat docks can end up as cages for wildlife that is out exploring.

 

Ellis told us that “rabbits especially get caught in lobster traps, both ornamental and stored for winter” adding owners need to “close up the entrance hole” when storing them to prevent anything other than lobsters from crawling inside.