Owner Of Home Where 100 Dogs Were Removed Likely To Face Animal Cruelty Charges
ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- One-by-one, Animal Control officers from Animal Friends took more than 100 dogs out of a home in Ross Township on Wednesday night.
Neighbors say they've been complaining about this for years, but nothing was done until now.
"I actually had Animal Friends tell me to quit calling," said Damian Miller, a neighbor. "There's nothing we can do about it. Calling our township officials, same thing. We'll look into it. Nobody would do anything about it."
KDKA's Lindsay Ward Reports:
The stench of ammonia was so strong, officers had to wear protective suits with oxygen tanks to enter the home.
"The levels of ammonia are so high, it's not safe for humans to be in there," said Ross Township Police Detective Brian Kohlepp. "They have the self-contained breathing system so that they can safely go in and breathe the air they take in the tanks."
Neighbors said the stench coming from the home was so unbearable, it kept them from even going outside.
"We have a swimming pool, we can't use it half the time because it smells so bad coming from her house and we just don't understand it," said Miller. "We wouldn't subject human beings, hopefully, to that type of living. We shouldn't do it to animals either."
It turns out this isn't the first time police have been called to this home. In 2008, they removed several animals from the home but not as many as today.
The homeowner is likely to be charged with cruelty to animals and in the meantime, the animals are being cared for by Animal Friends to be eventually put up for adoption.
On Thursday the township will inspect the home and determine if it is safe to live in.
