Appomattox kennel owner contests seizure of 49 dogs

APPOMATTOX — A Spout Spring kennel owner whose dogs were seized last week amid allegations they weren’t being cared for said Wednesday that she is going to fight to get them back.

Appomattox County Animal Control last week seized 49 dogs from Robin Conlon’s operation on Double Bridges Road. Wednesday’s hearing in Appomattox County General District Court was set to determine whether or not the seizure was proper.

Animal Control Officer Mickey Martin said the seized dogs were a mix of pugs and shar-peis. Martin said he could not describe the conditions that led to the dogs being seized because of an ongoing investigation, but noted that there were other dogs at the kennel being kept indoors under different conditions that were not taken.

He said the kennel was inspected in February and there were problems then. Last week’s seizure was made based on a follow-up visit, Martin said.

No criminal charges have been filed. Wednesday’s hearing was part of a civil procedure scheduled shortly after similar property seizures.Conlon told Judge Robert Woodson she hadn’t been subpoenaed for Wednesday morning’s hearing until Friday afternoon and hadn’t had enough time to hire a lawyer.

“They just came on my property and took them,” she told Woodson. “I would like them back.”

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Brooke Sterne said the hearing had to be held within 10 days unless Conlon agreed to a later hearing to hire a lawyer.

A hearing was tentatively reset for this afternoon to allow Conlon to hire an attorney to fight the seizure.

Woodson told Conlon to be mindful she would be billed for veterinary care for the dogs if he ruled the seizure was proper and that any delays could cause that bill to increase substantially.

Sterne said 23 of the dogs were being kept at Appomattox Animal Hospital and complained to the court that Conlon had not produced court-ordered shot records for those animals.

Martin said the remainder of the dogs were in the custody of the county’s Animal Control department.