Hoarding - 19 dogs seized from home - Bethlehem, PA

Thursday, Jun 28, 2001

County: Clarion

Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Jean Pearson

Jean Pearson, 55, had 19 dogs removed from her home on 2233 Main Street on June 28. Pearson was also removed from the home by Bethlehem police becasue the health department said the house was unfit for human habitation. The inspection came about after neighbors complained.

When Pearson answered the door after the search warrant had been issued, she went back into the home, locked the door with three deadbolts and refused to let anybody inside her home. Officers tried to negotiate with her. She would not let a veterinarian into her home. The police finally forced their way into Pearson's home and handcuffed her while authorities searched the house.

The dogs were about 70 to 90 pounds and of various ages. Some of the dogs had infected sores, matted hair and were found in a neglected state. A few needed immediate veterinarian attention and care, some had to be tranquilized. There was a large amount of dog feces on the floor of the home.

Pearson was a former professor at Moravian College and a Bethlehem City Council candidate.
She taught foreign languages at Moravian and won the Democratic nomination for council in the 1991 primary election but lost.

She is trying to get her home and pets back after health officials condemned the house and seized the purebred Hungarian Kuvasz dogs. The home was said to be filthy and flea-infested.

Pearson was the sole caregiver for her mother, Ruth, who had recently suffered a stroke and lived in a home close to Jean Pearson.

There were five more Kuvasz dogs removed from her mother's home which was nearby.

Pearson's mother, Ruth Pearson, 87, recently had a stroke. Her home was at 2225 Main Street.

The mother's home also reeked of dog urine and dog feces on both floors, but her home was in better condition than her daughter's home.

Ruth Pearson was not able to walk well on her own and was taken to St Luke's Hospital, Fountain Hill, where she will be evaluated by the Department of Aging. Out of Ruth Pearson's five dogs, four were in bad health and were seized by the SPCA.

Police said Jean Pearson was involuntarily committed to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Bethlehem. No charge have been filed against her.

The Health Bureau said it would allow Jean Pearson to move back after the house is rid of pests, cleaned and passes a bureau inspection. Pearson has a doctorate fro Cornell University, is a writer and translator, fluent in German and Swedish.

References

• Allentown PA Morning Call - July 12, 2001

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