Stratford Man Charged with Animal Neglect is Champion Dog Racer

Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 -- 3:01 PM

(Karen Madden, Wausau Daily Herald) A man charged with eight felony and 13 misdemeanor counts related to animal neglect is a champion sled dog racer whose dogs' lineage and bloodlines were well-known and respected in the racing community.

According to Karen Madden with the Wausau Daily Herald, Joseph S. Carey, 29, of Stratford, faces eight felony counts of mistreatment of animals causing death, 10 misdemeanor counts of intentionally mistreating animals, two misdemeanor counts of intentionally failing to provide food for animals and one misdemeanor count of not providing proper animal shelter or sanitation.

According to the criminal complaint, on April 25, Marathon County deputies went to Carey's property in the Marathon County town of Day after receiving a report of animal abuse.

At the property, they found eight dead Eurohounds and two dead goats. Deputies found 10 dogs alive on the 39-acre property Carey was renting from his father, according to the complaint.

Four dogs were found inside the home in kennels in the bedroom. An officer said spending 10 seconds in the room was "miserable" because of the smell coming from urine and feces inside the kennels, according to the complaint.

Outside, there were kennels and, in the middle of an open area, 12 dog houses. Each dog with a dog house was attached to a 6-foot chain that was held by a steak in the ground.

There were empty metal dog dishes, some turned upside down laying around the area, and buckets of what looked like very dirty water next to the houses, according to the complaint.

Deputies believed the water in the buckets had come from a recent rainfall. The ground around the area was covered in dog feces, according to the complaint. The kennels other dogs were in had a quarter inch of sludge in the bottom, according to the complaint.

The sludge was made up of feces and urine. The dogs that were alive appeared to be malnourished, according to the complaint. It is unknown how long the dead dogs had been there, but they had maggots on them, according to the complaint.

Deputies interviewed Carey, who said he hadn't fed the dogs in a month, according to the complaint. Carey said he and his girlfriend broke up March 14 and he hadn't cared for the dogs because it was something they did together, and he was depressed about the break up, according to the complaint.

Carey said he slept in the room where the deputy reported the "miserable" smell.

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