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BOSTON (AP) — State officials have revoked the animal inspection duties of two Westport health board members on allegations they didn't properly inspect a property where hundreds of animals were later found living in squalor.
Authorities found dead and injured animals, makeshift cabins, burning trash and illegal stoves at a Westport farm in July.
The state Department of Agricultural Resources says health board chairman John Colletti and board member Karl Santos no longer have inspection powers.
Division of Animal Health Director Michael Cahill says the animal inspectors in January reported no sanitation or cleanliness issues at the property. Cahill says the unsanitary conditions took years to accumulate.
Colletti told The Boston Globe that he was not present for the January inspections. He said he is resigning.
Santos has said he saw nothing concerning.
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