SCRANTON — A judge Tuesday ordered a Scranton couple to surrender their pack of cane corso mastiffs at their Scranton home and sent most of the dogs to a rescue operation in Luzerne County.
Lackawanna County Judge Mark Powell’s ruling immediately affected about nine of the 14 dogs at the home of John and Janelle Dodge at 421 Campbell St. in Minooka.
Powell ordered dogs 12 months old or younger and their mother if she’s still lactating be taken by state dog warden officials to Nala’s Animal Rescue and Sanctuary in Wright Twp., which agreed to take the dogs.
Powell also ordered the Dodges to discontinue operation of their Superior Cane Corso Kennel at the Campbell Street home, and “rehome” the remaining adult dogs. He scheduled a follow-up hearing for July 22 to see if they have complied with his directive. If they do not, Powell said he will consider imposing sanctions, which might include fines and/or jail time.
Tuesday’s proceedings were the latest developments in an injunction lawsuit filed May 19 by Scranton against John Dodge over the excessive number of dogs at the home and their oversight and impact on the neighborhood; and a zoning violation by operating a kennel in a residence.
Powell first heard the case May 27, and John Dodge did not attend the hearing. In a June 10 ruling, Powell determined the dogs and their handling constituted a public nuisance and ordered John Dodge to remove all of the dogs. When Dodge had not complied, the city June 27 filed a “petition for sanctions based on the defendant’s civil contempt of a court order.”
The Dodges attended Tuesday’s hearing represented by attorney Andrew Phillips, who told the judge the couple was looking for 60 days to rehome most of the dogs and move away. Powell noted his June 10 decision required immediate removal of the dogs.
Phillips explained that John Dodge was the lone defendant in the injunction lawsuit, but they had been having marital difficulties and his wife primarily was in charge of the dogs, the home and the kennel website that offered dogs for sale. John Dodge also had been barred at times from contacting his wife under unrelated court orders in a domestic dispute, and he had not been aware of the May 27 hearing, according to Tuesday’s proceeding.
Janelle Dodge testified that a constable had delivered legal papers addressed to her husband in the injunction but she did not open her husband’s mail. Janelle also testified to the following: She “was not purposefully breeding” the dogs and was trying to rehome most of them; she started a website for Superior Cane Corso Kennels to attract buyers; she wanted to ensure the dogs go to appropriate owners; she has about 14 dogs currently, none of which are spayed or neutered; she wants to keep five of the dogs and return to living in the Back Mountain area; and caring for the dogs caused her to reduce her nursing occupation hours and her husband is a delivery driver who is on the road a lot.
“They’re consuming me. They’re consuming my life. I want to go back to work,” Janelle testified.
A breed of Italian lineage, the name of cane corso roughly translates from Latin as “bodyguard dog.”
Assistant City Solicitor Mariclare Hayes asked if the cane corso is a difficult breed to place with new owners, and Janelle answered yes. Hayes asked if the breed is dangerous.
“Any dog can turn. But they’re big babies. I just don’t want them in the wrong hands,” Janelle testified.
John Dodge did not testify.
Neighbor Dawn Hafner, whose backyard abuts the Dodge’s backyard, testified the situation has only worsened since Powell’s original order.
“Thirty-five days, all of the dogs are there,” the stench from feces and urine has gotten worse with summer heat and barking is constant, Hafner testified.
State Dog Warden Jenny Cali testified her office investigated a complaint at the Dodge home in December and found an unlicensed kennel, unlicensed dogs without any vaccination information, and issued a cease-and-desist order. Nala’s has the capability to take the younger dogs, Cali testified.
Megan Gill of Nala’s testified her rescue operates on 10 acres and she had contacted Janelle Dodge via email after seeing a news report on the situation, offering to help.
In closing arguments, Hayes said, “This is a self-created predicament” by Janelle, and her husband cannot distance himself from the situation.
“We don’t want to see them pay fines. We want them to take action” to remove or rehome the dogs, Hayes said.
Phillips said, “This is a process. This is something that needs to be done in a safe and secure way,” and claimed Powell’s June 10 order was not specific as to a time frame for compliance.
“It sounds pretty clear to me,” Powell said.
Hayes also noted the June 10 order said it was effective immediately.
A photo of several cane corso mastiff dogs on a rear deck of 421 Campbell St. in Scranton, as taken from a neighboring home at 2426 Pittson Ave. (COPY OF PHOTO / COURTESY OF DAWN HAFNER)
A photo of several Cane Corso mastiff dogs on a rear deck of 421 Campbell St. in Scranton, as taken from a neighboring home at 2426 Pittson Ave. (COPY OF PHOTO / COURTESY OF DAWN HAFNER)
A photo of several cane corso mastiff dogs on a rear deck of 421 Campbell St. in Scranton, as taken from a neighboring home at 2426 Pittson Ave. (COPY OF PHOTO / COURTESY OF DAWN HAFNER)
A photo of several cane corso mastiff dogs on a rear deck of 421 Campbell St. in Scranton, as taken from a neighboring home at 2426 Pittson Ave. (COURTESY OF DAWN HAFNER)
A photo of several cane corso mastiff dogs on a rear deck of 421 Campbell St. in Scranton, as taken from a neighboring home at 2426 Pittson Ave. (COPY OF PHOTO / COURTESY OF DAWN HAFNER)
A photo of several cane corso mastiff dogs on a rear deck of 421 Campbell St. in Scranton, as taken from a neighboring home at 2426 Pittson Ave. (COPY OF PHOTO / COURTESY OF DAWN HAFNER)