Problems continued at midstate pet rescue despite warnings

(Undated) — Mountainside Pet Rescue, which is under investigation by Pennsylvania State Police for animal cruelty, had ongoing problems this past summer, according to kennel inspection reports.

Three Dog Law Enforcement Office inspection reports were filed between the end of June and the middle of August, all showing similar issues with cleanliness at the kennel on Upper Horse Valley Road, proper documentation for the dogs and some dogs with health issues.

Public Opinion previously reported that the inspection report from June 28 indicated there were 64 adult dogs at the kennel, and there were concerns about the cleanliness. Some of those concerns included bedding in “primary enclosures” that was not clean, and more than a day’s worth of waste from the animals in the basement.

The Pennsylvania Dog Warden returned to Mountainside Pet Rescue Aug. 3, this time finding 93 dogs.

The warden documented seeing chewed wood in primary enclosures, plus several panels in the kennel areas that had hard sharp edges and boards with protruding nails. A dog house had sharp edges and protruding nails, the report states.

Food and water bowls were dirty and had caked-on food, plus the bedding was muddy, chewed and dirty with debris, along with dog waste from more than one day, in a primary enclosure.

The warden observed dirt, dust, debris, mice and rodent droppings in the kennel areas and primary enclosures.

The warden saw three dogs that appeared to have health concerns, including two with lameness and a third with a large open sore on one of his legs, according to the report.

Aside from the health concerns, the inspection report shows that there were dogs that lacked proper documentation for how they were purchased, registered, and whether they had rabies vaccinations.

At the time of this inspection, the dog warden filed five citations, including failure to maintain sanitary conditions and failure to have proper rabies vaccinations. 

All citations mention that the kennel had been warned about these issues on a previous visit.

When the dog warden returned for another inspection on Aug. 17, the only issue addressed was the dogs needing medical attention. The three dogs identified as needing medical care were taken to the vet within 72 hours, but the warden noted two other dogs she felt needed veterinary care.

In addition to the previous issues, the warden said there were two dogs in the same enclosure that were fighting on and off during the inspection. She directed the kennel to keep aggressive dogs away from other dogs.

There were also 95 dogs at the kennel, up from the 93 that had been previously reported.

So far, Mountainside Pet Rescue, owned by George Statler, has said it will go through a summary trial on the citations involving the sanitary conditions of the kennel and the rabies documentation.

The summary trial is scheduled for Nov. 1.

This article is part of a content-sharing partnership between WITF and Public Opinion Online.