ANDOVER, Minn. — *Editor's Note: The above video first aired Oct. 17, 2023
A 36-year-old St. Paul woman is charged with more than 20 counts of mistreating animals, including multiple counts of torture in connection to an animal welfare investigation that began after eight dogs were found dead back in October.
Carley Mackenzie Ryan was charged Monday with 22 counts of overwork/mistreatment of animals, including four felony torture charges after officials opened an investigation when the bodies of eight dogs were found dumped near the Mississippi River in Grey Cloud Island Township in October of 2023.
Ryan is the founder of For Furever dog rescue in Andover, and in a post-Miranda statement, she acknowledged that the eight dogs came from her facility, adding that she got them in an auction a few weeks prior. She told investigators the puppies contracted parvo, a highly contagious and deadly virus. Ryan said she had some fluids on hand and fed the puppies a specialty food for easy digestion, but according to prosecutors, none of the puppies ever received any treatment from a licensed veterinarian. All eight puppies eventually died from the virus in about one week. Prosecutors say none of the dogs were humanely euthanized.
Investigators obtained a search warrant and found 22 dogs inside the rescue. The facility had an "overwhelming odor of feces and urine," when officials arrived, adding that several dogs were loose and that the floor was wet and "covered in a layer of excrement," according to the criminal complaint. Prosecutors added that the dogs were being housed in cages that were too small, lacked bedding and contained no food or water.
All 22 dogs were seized due to the conditions inside the facility. The Animal Humane Society began medical and behavioral care for the dogs after a medical examination determined that none of the canines were healthy enough to be adopted.
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