WESTPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - 27 people are facing animal cruelty charges in the case involving 1400 animals from last summer at a tenant farm in Westport.
Authorities say many were kept in bad conditions. Some of them with severe injuries or illness had to be put down.
Farm owner Richard Medeiros and 26 tenants were indicted two months ago and will now go to court.
Animal rights activists Roxanne Houghton and Jodi Greenleaf have been pushing for action from the start.
“I believe that these people need to be made an example of, because if they’re not,” said Greenleaf, “things like this will happen again.”
Houghton and Greenleaf say the disturbing pictures of the animals helped make the case against Medeiros and the tenants.
“To think that people walked away,” said Greenleaf, “they saw these animals in these conditions and walked past it and walked away from it time and time again. When you look at the photos you see just tremendous suffering.”
Medieros faced similar charges back in 2010.
The animals have been removed from the property and are now being cared for.
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