The Pennsylvania SPCA has charged three Conoy Township residents with felony animal cruelty after abandoning more than 20 animals and storing the bodies of more than 50 others in freezers.
Eric Werner, Jadden Moore and Mary Good were each charged with aggravated animal cruelty, cruelty to animals and five counts of neglect of animals.
The three were evicted from a home they shared in the 100 block of Falmouth Road in September 2023 but made no attempt to inform township officials that there were living and dead animals left inside the residence.
A Pennsylvania SPCA humane society officer was called to the home in October, finding the residence boarded up with no food or water left for the animals inside. Officers initially recovered 15 adult cats, a kitten, three domestic rats and a snake.
One of the cats was humanely euthanized by a veterinarian hours after being recovered due to its critical condition.
Good confirmed to SPCA that the animals belonged to her, her son Werner and her boyfriend Moore.
Police returned to the home weeks later after it appeared to have been burglarized, finding five guinea pigs, two wild rabbits, six newborn kittens, 16 kittens ranging from under one month to around two months old, a juvenile cat and seven adult cats wrapped in plastic bags in a freezer along with frozen food. Another newborn rabbit, white mouse, white rat, newborn kitten, 12 kittens younger than two months old and a juvenile cat were found inside bags in a second freezer.
A total of 21 living animals and 55 dead animals were recovered from the home.
A forensic examination of the surviving animals revealed that they were severely underweight, dehydrated, missing eyes, jaundiced, hypothermic, infested with fleas, had decreased heart rates and had difficulty breathing.
Police are now searching for Werner, Moore and Good. Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is asked to contact their local police department or county detective Joanne Resh at 717-295-5933.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.