Wet, Dry and Things That Fly

One Suitor So Far For The Swampscott Tarantula

The Swampscott animal control officer received a phone message from an ASPCA person who inquired about having the tarantula shipped to a far-off destination.

  Swampscott Animal Control Officer Diane Treadwell is not fond of arachnids but she has been getting use to caring for the tarantula found Monday at the Swampscott Cemetery. So far she has received one inquiry from a person interested in adopting the tarantula, which she has nicknamed Harry Houdini. That call was a phone message left from an ASPCA representative who is interested in having Harry shipped to their location. Harry is eating well and got a bath of sorts on Monday night — a misting, mist sprayed from a bottle of water, said the animal control officer. A few more details have emerged about how Harry came into the town's possession. On Monday morning a former Department of Public Works employee, Steve Caproni, had parked over by…

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Puppy Mill Raid On The Road

Swampscott's Animal Control Officer recently traveled to Arkansas to assist in the raid of a puppy mill and the rescue of more than 175 dogs.

  Swampscott Animal Control Officer Diane Treadwell recently traveled to Arkansas and joined a  raid on a huge puppy mill that resulted in the rescue of more than 175 dogs. Treadwell, who also serves as Marblehead's assistant animal control officer, made the trip as a member of the state's animal emergency response team. "Whenever there’s a situation, whether it's a disaster like Hurricane Katrina or a case like this one where someone discovers a puppy mill, we can get called in to help out," Treadwell said. After the Garland Country Sheriff's Office raided a mill facility in Hot Springs, Ark., on Nov. 7, Treadwell joined a host of other workers, operating on behalf of the ASPCA and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and spent 10 …

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