Case Details
Case Snapshot
Case ID: 12530
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (non pit-bull)
View more cases in PA (US)
Login to Watch this Case




For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.


CONVICTED: Was justice served?

Please vote on whether or not you feel the sentence in this case was appropriate for the crime. (Be sure to read the entire case and sentencing before voting.)

weak sentence = one star
strong sentence = 5 stars

more information on voting

When you vote, you are voting on whether or not the punishment fit the crime, NOT on the severity of the case itself. If you feel the sentence was very weak, you would vote 1 star. If you feel the sentence was very strong, you would vote 5 stars.

Please vote honestly and realistically. These ratings will be used a a tool for many future programs, including a "People’s Choice" of best and worst sentencing, DA and judge "report cards", and more. Try to resist the temptation to vote 1 star on every case, even if you feel that 100 years in prison isn’t enough.

Case #12530 Rating: 2.5 out of 5



Puppy mill
Mount Airy, PA (US)

Incident Date: Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007
County: Philadelphia

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: David Pippen

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

Authorities have discovered an alleged puppy mill in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia.

The apparent mistreatment of dogs includes airedale terrier puppies appearing to have their tails docked or amputated without pain medication or antibiotics.

"These puppies are really in horrible condition. They have gangrene on their tails and all their tails are badly infected," veterinarian Ravi Murarka said.

However, there are dogs in worse condition. SPCA investigators found more than a dozen dogs inside a home on the 71 hundred block of Boyer Street in Mt. Airy.

One puppy was dead in a trashcan. Investigators say conditions inside and outside the home are deplorable.

"It's like a junkyard back there with leaves and dirt in it," SPCA investigator Wayne Smith said.

Investigators say David Pippen ran the puppy mill. A woman and a young man who identified themselves as Pippen's wife and son talked to investigators outside the home, but they refused to answer questions from Action News.

SPCA board members Jodi Goldberg and Harrise Yaron helped bring Pippen to justice and this isn't the first time. In 2003, after answering an advertisement for airedale terriers and doing their own legwork, the two women helped convict Pippen of animal cruelty. Now, he's charged with a second offense and that could bring jail time.

"I guess it was 4 years ago. We told him the worst day in his life was the day he met us," Goldberg said.

The SPCA says airedale terriers sell from around 750 dollars to 15 hundred. Pippen was allegedly selling his dogs for 300 hundred dollars. The SPCA says to be wary of a deal that appears to good to be true.


Case Updates

David Pippen was convicted on two charges of animal cruelty and sentenced to two years in prison. In October 2007, the Pennsylvania SPCA (PSPCA) law enforcement team removed 11 Airedale dogs in poor health and living in unsanitary conditions at 7130 Boyer Street and 246 E. Armat Street - two properties belonging to Pippen. One of the puppies removed from the properties was dead. Pippen had been advertising the dogs for sale in local newspapers. In addition to jail time, Pippen was fined $8,000 plus restitution and prohibited from selling or breeding dogs. It is expected that Pippen will appeal the verdict.

"This verdict and sentencing is a very good sign for the animals that need this protection and represents a new era for sentencing of animal abusers in the Philadelphia court system," said PSPCA CEO Howard Nelson. "Once again the outstanding PSPCA law enforcement team has helped bring an animal abuser to justice."
Source: PSPCA - June 16, 2008
Update posted on Jul 17, 2008 - 12:50PM 

References

  • « PA State Animal Cruelty Map

    Add to GoogleNot sure what these icons mean? Click here.

    Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

    For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.



    Send this page to a friend
© Copyright 2001-2008 Pet-Abuse.Com. All rights reserved. Site Map ¤ Disclaimer ¤ Privacy Policy