Those 162 animals removed from the squalid conditions they endured at a Taft Street property in Ayer have fortunately found temporary shelter, but a permanent solution for their plight involves finding loving homes for these abused creatures.

The animals – some in need of medical care — were seized by MSPCA Law Enforcement and Ayer police after it was discovered they were living in unsanitary conditions without adequate access to food and water.

Their previous owner, Ruth Maxant-Schulz, 77, who has been charged with 30 counts of animal cruelty, surrendered the animals to the care of the MSPCA on April 8.

The MSPCA’s Nevins Farm in Methuen has undertaken the challenging task of finding individuals willing to care for these abused critters.

“These animals have been through a lot,” said Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell vice president of Animal Protection. “… We’re focused on helping them get back to good health … and placing into homes where they’ll get the love and care they deserve.”

The rescued animals include 91 chickens, 11 ducks, eight geese, and two ponies, as well as 49 goats, some pregnant.

“Many of these animals needed medical care,” Keiley explained. “In addition to caring for the pregnant goats and their eventual babies, we need to castrate the males, and some of the birds also need additional treatment, including a poor goose that has a tumor on its eyelid.”

Dr. Anne Staudenmaier, an avian and exotics specialist at Angell West in Waltham, is expected to perform surgery on that goose.

“It’s really fortunate that these animals came to Nevins, where we have access to world-class veterinarians like Dr. Staudenmaier,” said Keiley. “But this kind of specialized care, on top of the basic care many of them need just to get healthy, puts an incredible strain on resources.”

Keiley estimates caring for these animals has already topped $20,000, with more costs accruing as they continue on their road to recovery.

Nevins Farm has taken on similar tasks previously, though not on the scale of this mission of mercy.

Back in the fall of 2022, some 40 animals, including 19 chickens, 15 ducks, and five horses, were relocated to Nevins Farm as a result of an animal-cruelty investigation in Tyngsboro.

As in that situation, a loving home of an understanding adoptive individual or family would help make up for all the adversity these creatures have faced.

Interested parties can visit Nevins Farm in Methuen during open hours, Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., or may submit an inquiry at mspca.org/nevinsadopt.

Those who would like to help offset the expense of the animals’ care can do so at mspca.org/ayer.

Distracted drivers on State Police radar through the month of April

We mentioned recently that the city of Worcester has restarted its “Eyes Up, Phones Down” initiative to combat distracted driving.

Originally launched in February 2020 in coordination with the state’s hands-free law, the public-safety campaign took a pandemic-caused pause.

But to promote its return, Worcester police didn’t issue tickets for distracted driving during the first week of April. Instead of citations, officers gave distracted drivers a warning and a pamphlet from the Worcester District Attorney’s office about the dangers of such behavior.

Well, the Massachusetts State Police have taken that awareness campaign to another level.

Throughout the month of April, they’re deploying daily high visibility enforcement patrols across the state as part of a nationwide distracted-driving enforcement effort.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, from 2015 to 2019, 12% of fatal crashes in Massachusetts involved distracted driving.

Massachusetts law generally prohibits operators of motor vehicles from using any electronic devices, including cellphones, unless it’s in hands-free mode.

Due to the pandemic, police in 2020 only issued 29,600 citations for violations of the new distracted-driving law. The number of citations increased in subsequent years to more than 44,000 in 2021, 51,000 in 2022 and nearly 54,000 in 2023.

The penalties for violating the hands-free law shouldn’t be taken lightly. For the first offense, it’s a $100 fine. With the second offense, you’ll incur a $250 fine and be required to complete a distracted driving educational program. For a third and subsequent offenses, that fine doubles to $500, and in addition to that mandatory distracted driving educational course, you’ll be assessed an insurance surcharge.

According to the law, drivers 18 and older:

• Can’t touch the phone except to activate the hands-free mode, and can only enable the device if it’s installed or properly mounted to the windshield, dashboard, or center console so that it doesn’t impede the operation of the motor vehicle.

• Can’t touch the device for texting, emailing, apps, video, or internet use.

• Can activate GPS navigation if the device is installed or properly mounted.

• Permitted handheld use only when the vehicle is both stationary and not located in a public travel lane or bicycle lane, but not allowed at red lights or stop signs.

• Can use a headphone, but only in one ear.

• As for drivers under 18, they’re prohibited from using any electronic devices, including cellphone use of any kind, even hands-free mode.