It was a busy weekend for the SPCA in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania after 40 animals were removed from a home where they had been living without access to any food and water.
Thirty chickens were already dead on the same property and their bodies were removed, the PSPCA said. Still alive were 32 chickens, four quails, three cats and a rabbit were removed by PSPCA Humane Law Enforcement officers.
The PSPCA went to the property after a neighbour alerted them to the neglected animals on the property. The removed animals are now under the care of the PSPCA.
It’s the second time in a month the PSPCA has removed a large number of animals from a household ill-equipped to care for the critters. In what officials called a “filthy” home, 17 dogs and cats were removed from a Philadephia home
The majority of those animals, consisting of 15 dogs and 2 cats, remain in the care of the PSPCA. A handful have been signed over by the owner and adopted.
“In a very short timeframe, the Pennsylvania SPCA has had two cases involving large numbers of animals. We are the only animal welfare organization in the region equipped to handle cases involving such a high volume,” PSPCA CEO Jerry Buckley said in a statement. “We are the advocate for all animals throughout the region, including Lehigh County, expanding beyond dogs and cats to the health and well-being of chickens, rabbits and more.”
The animals removed from the home will remain with the PSPCA until the case is adjudicated.
The owner of the residence where the animals were found was not identified and formal charges were not announced. The investigation is ongoing, the PSPCA said.
Photo credit: PSPCA
