Animals abandoned in home, 9 dead in fridge
Shamokin, PA (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Dec 3, 2008
County: Monroe

Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Daniel Phelps
» Annette Phelps

The abandoned house at 1005 North Vine St. was a virtual pet cemetery by the time Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and police personnel used a search warrant on Wednesday night to get inside and investigate persistent rumors of animal abuse.

Tipped off by a concerned neighbor who phoned an animal cruelty hot line, SPCA humane officer Sandi Goodrich, of Monroe County, and her colleagues found two bone-thin but alive Chihuahuas alive in the house and nine dead animals in a kitchen refrigerator.

Five puppies, four adult dogs and one kitten were found dead in the freezer.

The two living Chihuahuas were recovered by the SPCA and have since been listed as "medically stable." They are recovering from what SPCA officials believe are possibly months of starvation.

Shamokin Code Enforcement Officer Barry Stoud said on Friday that he was one of the first to arrive at the house after the SPCA and police removed the animal carcasses.

"I couldn't get a search warrant, but the SPCA officials had sufficient cause," he recalled. He said that when he entered the home he found piles of garbage and dog feces scattered about in the rooms.

The house had been without electricity for about two months.

The Vine Street address had been occupied by Annette and Daniel Phelps. When their electricity was shut off, the house was declared "Unfit for Human Habitation."

"I was notified of the situation late in the afternoon," Stoud said. "It was dark inside and it smelled pretty bad, but I've been in homes where the conditions were worse. I've been in some homes where you need a gas mask to go inside and breathe. Part of my job is to take photos of the interior, so I did that. We had some unsatisfactory conditions on Diamond Street that involved animals a few months back, but that house has been cleaned up. Some people are bums. What are you going to do?"

An investigation is ongoing.

References

• « PA State Animal Cruelty Map

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