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Richard Martrich, who oversaw the work of six wardens inspecting hundreds of kennels in the Southeast Pennsylvania region, has been transferred to the Bureau of Weights and Measures in the state Department of Agriculture.
Agriculture spokesman Chris Ryder declined comment on the reasons for the transfer, saying it was a "personnel matter."
Martrich, who also declined comment, had been removed from active duty in July pending an investigation after a raid on a Chester County kennel led to the seizure of nearly 100 sick and injured dogs and revealed widespread abuse and poor conditions.
During Martrich's watch, Limestone Kennel had received only clean inspections for the last three years, raising questions about enforcement procedures and prompting calls for a probe into the inspection process.
Ryder said a review found the earlier inspections were "done to the satisfaction of the department."
Martrich, who had worked for the bureau since 1997, was paid $40,600 as supervisor for a region that includes all of the Philadelphia-area counties.
Martrich also supervised wardens in Lehigh and Berks counties, the scenes of two-high profile incidents in the last two months.
In August a Berks County breeder shot 80 dogs after he was ordered to provide veterinary care for flea bites.
Last week, a raid at Almost Heaven Kennel in Emmaus, Lehigh County, found more than 800 animals living in squalid conditions.
Both kennels had received satisfactory inspections for years.
Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews.com
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