SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP -- A man from Lycoming County is facing animal cruelty charges for killing two of his dogs, according to state police.
Troopers said what started as a "heated argument" between a husband and wife in a home outside Williamsport, ended with two dogs being killed.
Neighbors on 2nd Ave said Fred Clark was drinking Friday evening when the fight began and the argument spilled onto their front porch.
"His wife and kids came running over here, they were scared. They were afraid of him. And then he started knocking on our doors at the front, in the back, going to the windows," said Eileen Lehman of Susquehanna Township.
The Lehman's said they called the police and Clark went home, while his wife and three children left the area. Robert Lehman said the couple fought a lot when Clark was drinking.
"I think his biggest problem is when he's drinking. I think that seems to be when it happens. Otherwise, he's always been a nice guy with us and he's always been a real good neighbor."
Sometime after the fight, troopers believe Clark killed two of his family's dogs, both dachshund/pit bull mixes, and buried them in the backyard. State police did not say how the dogs were killed.
Some neighbors said they saw Clark digging in his backyard, but didn't realize anything was wrong until state police arrived Saturday afternoon.
"He was walking around out here with a cell phone and he was walking back and forth," said Larry Brungart of Susquehanna Township. "I thought he was kind of nervous about something but I didn't think anything of it. "
Brungart lives behind Clark's home and said he knew him for years. He believes Clark treated his dogs badly to begin with.
"He'd leave them out here on that porch over there in the summertime when it was extremely hot, they'd be there. There would be dog crap all over the place."
The entire incident has some neighbors on edge.
"It really upsets me to hear about this, and it also frightens me that he would do something like this," said Eileen Leham.
According to court papers, Clark has been in trouble with the law several times in the past,
State police said Clark now has two charges of animal cruelty pending against him and he scheduled to be in court sometime later this week.