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Westmoreland County Couple Charged With Animal Cruelty

LOWER BURRELL (KDKA)- A Westmoreland County couple has been charged with animal cruelty, two months after six dogs were found inside an abandoned home in Lower Burrell.

Terry Miller, 61, and Jacqueline Miller, 55, have each been charged with a dozen counts of animal cruelty, as well as conspiracy.

Police say the couple kept six poodles inside crates in a house they abandoned on Edgeview Street in Lower Burrell. The dogs were discovered back in May, after the couple vacated the home when they lost it in foreclosure.

"Deplorable conditions," says Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley's Jody Berisko. "You could smell it as soon as you hit the backyard. They were horrible, they were completely matted in feces, urine. Some of them could barely even walk."

The dogs were removed from the home and taken to the Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley in New Kensington.

Berisko just hopes the couple will have to pay for causing so much suffering.

"They day that hopefully we go to court and hopefully at least something because this should not be put onto the back burner this needs to be addressed somehow," Berisko said.

The dogs have been given $10,000 worth of medical treatment and surgeries. It's been a community effort with donations helping to fund the effort.

"It's so great to tell them that they have become normal dogs from such a bad start they've become very loving dogs," Carol Swartzlander said.

Two of the poodles are in foster care and one of them gave birth to two more puppies three days after the dogs were seized. The goal is to find all eight dogs a loving home.

The animals can't officially be adopted until the court case is wrapped up. Animal Protectors say there's been a great interest in adopting the dogs.

At this point they say there are still taking applications.

Meanwhile, the Millers have a preliminary hearing on Aug. 4.

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