HUNLOCK CREEK, Pa. — A man accused of neglecting farm animals on his property in Luzerne County has entered a guilty plea.
Mark Brown pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of animal neglect and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $5,000 restitution to the Luzerne County SPCA.
In July 2022, police found 30 calves and one goat in unsanitary conditions on Brown's property in Hunlock Creek. Humane officers said there was no hay, water, or food for the animals, and some had illnesses, including pneumonia, salmonella, and E. coli infections.
In Luzerne County Court, 135 counts of neglect of animals were withdrawn, and 68 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals against Brown were dismissed in September.