18 malnourished dogs rescued from Malden home, animal cruelty charges filed 

Crime

Nearly half of the dogs have been emancipated.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston rescued 18 malnourished dogs from a home in Malden earlier this month and has since filed animal cruelty charges.

ARL Law Enforcement said it filed 18 counts of animal cruelty and 18 counts of violation of the state’s tethering and confinement statute against Malden resident Jennifer Ahn.

ARL Boston said in a press release Wednesday that its law enforcement division, Malden police, and Malden animal control executed a search warrant at Ahn’s Malden home on Dec. 2 to remove the dogs, which it says were living in unsanitary conditions.

Once removed from the home, ARL Boston said, the majority of the dogs were taken to ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center. A few needed additional care and were taken to an animal hospital, but have since been returned to ARL Boston to receive ongoing treatments.

“The majority of the dogs are extremely undergroomed, with overgrown nails, matted fur, fur loss, and moderate to severe dental disease,” ARL Boston wrote in the release.

The dogs which were underweight are now on refeeding plans to ensure they gain weight slowly and safely, ARL Boston said. The majority of them will spend time in foster care where they will have a quiet and comforting environment to recover in.

Nearly half of the dogs have been emancipated, ARL Boston said, but it is unclear if and when they will be put up for adoption.