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FRAMINGHAM – A Framingham man, who has been in a “dog fight” with a School Committee member and his husband for months, was arrested yesterday, September 15, and charged with animal cruelty.
Police arrested Kenneth Colley, 58, of 11 East Street at 20 Irving Street yesterday.
He was charged with animal cruelty, assault and battery, larceny, and disorderly conduct.
Around 10:30 a.m., a members of the Framingham Police department contacted headquarters and animal control “advise them of a male abusing a puppy.”
A Framingham Police Parking Enforcement Officer who was the reporting party. told police when “she was driving past the One Stop she observed Colley grab the puppy by the neck.”
The enforcement officers told police “she saw Colley grab the puppy by the neck three times and immediately contacted dispatch,” according to the report.
The woman who owns the dog told police “she noticed a male know to her as Kenneth Colley attach a dog leash to her puppy” and then “Colley grabbed the puppy by the collar, twisted the collar and lifted the puppy in the air,” according to the police report.
She told police “Colley took the puppy and attempted to run away,” according to the police report.
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A man ran after Colley, unattached Colley’s leash to the puppy and started to run across the street, said the woman to police, according to the report.
“Colley grabbed his bike and was trying to stop him from leaving,” she told police, according to the report.
The woman owner told police that “she ran towards and Colley punched her in the right upper arm.”
Framingham Police Officers said when they arrived on Irving Street “Colley was running across Hollis Street not in a crosswalk and forcing traffic to come to a stop. Colley was yelling and screaming and stated you guys have done nothing to help me get dog back. Colley’s was throwing his arms in the air and traffic began slow down as cars were looking to see what was going on,” according to the police report.
Colley told police officers he “sold the puppy to (the woman) and she hasn’t paid me. I was trying to take my puppy back,” according to the report.
The woman “pulled out her cellphone and showed me a text message from Colley that said Happy Birthday keep the puppy.”
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The Framingham School Committee member said his mental health is suffering as his tenant, who lives in the basement of his house, has just too many dogs. LaBarge speaking at a Board of Health meeting in August said the battle over the dogs even escalated into police arresting him and his tenant Ken Colley.
The Framingham Board of Health, down a member, voted unanimously in August 2-0 to deny a kennel permit to Colley, who has at least 8 dogs and has been breeding dogs for a couple of years.
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At one point during that August Board of Health meeting, Colley accused Labarge of kidnapping two of his puppies. Labarge said he told Colley he wanted the dogs out.
“I gave two of the puppies away,” said Labarge.
Labarge said that Colley was not charging for the puppies, and was giving them away, and since he and his husband wanted the dogs out of the house, he gave away two of them.
“I just wanted them out of my house,” said Labarge.
Colley told the Board of Health that he is selling the puppies for $700 and that Labarge “kidnapped” those two, and he has lost $1,400.
Labarge said Colley did not start selling the puppies until the second litter was born in May.
At one point between 2019 and now, the battle over the dogs escalated to police officers at 11 East Street and arrests.
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Labarge said he was charged with domestic assault & battery, and that Colley was charged with domestic assault & battery, assault and battery on an individual over age 60, and assault and battery on an individual with a disability.
The arrests did not appear in the public police log, as they were both charged with domestic assaults. Under state law, domestic assaults do not appear in the log. Police determined it was a domestic as both individuals live in the same “household.” The only relationship is landlord and tenant.
Labarge said his he was released on his own recognizance and walked home from the Framingham Police station. he said Colley was in jail for a few days and that he and his husband bailed him out on Saturday evening as he had “no money.”
Labarge said the charge against him was dismissed.
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