RINGTOWN, Pa. — Piles among piles of garbage and rotting food can be seen outside a house on Trout Run Drive near Ringtown. The mess sparked an investigation into the welfare of nearly 100 animals.
"From the township road, you can't see this, but once I walked up the driveway, it was unbelievable what I saw," said Dave Briggs, a Union Township supervisor.
A Union Township supervisor tells Newswatch 16 that a neighbor brought up concerns at a township meeting earlier this year. The house was overrun with animals of all kinds living in filth and eating food that's been sitting out in the open.
"Yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, stuff like that they were using to feed the animals, and they got way too much, and it's starting to rot now," said Briggs.
With a search warrant in hand, volunteers brought out nearly 20 dogs across two properties. Officials also found cats, goats, potbellied pigs, and horses.
"Trying to find people who were able to handle these animals and keep them in a secure foster placement, we've had a couple people back out, so that becomes a problem," said Dana Mansell from Hillside SPCA.
Plus, there are avian flu concerns with dozens of chickens and ducks. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture says the birds must stay where they are until they can be tested.
People from the Hillside SPCA believe this hoarding situation is a case of good people getting overwhelmed.
"There are a lot of outside environmental issues, and that's the sticking point in this situation – the safety and welfare of the animals, and it's really not safe for the humans either," Mansell said.
Union Township will now give the homeowner a notice to clean up the properties now that the animals have been removed. It's expected citations and fines will also be issued.
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