MINDEN, N.Y. (WKTV) - Three people are charged in connection to the puppy mill that was busted in the Town of Minden earlier this month.

State Police arrested the former residents of 7145 State Route 5S. Diane and Paul Marriott of Fort Plain and Joseph Marriott of Gloversville are all charged with 52 counts of animal cruelty. The arrests were made nearly a month after 51 dogs were seized from a barn in Minden.

Joseph Marriott is also charged with Criminal Possession of Marijuana 2nd for being in possession of marijuana and aggravated harassment for allegedly posting a threat to local shelter employee.

All three were released on bail and will appear on The Town of Minden Court on 2/25/13.

State Police executed a search warrant back on January 3rd at the State Route 5S location. While executing the warrant, officials found conditions to be uninhabitable for the canines located there. Some of these conditions included an unheated and element exposed structure, frozen water, a deceased canine, and many of the canines lying in fecal matter. This resulted in an immediate effort of the removal of over 50 canines which ranged in age from puppy to adulthood and were mostly of the Pit Bull breed.

A mugshot for Paul Marriott was not provided.