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Police: Pets Living in House of Filth

MINERSVILLE — Horrifying! That’s how some neighbors describe the conditions that police found inside a home in Schuylkill County. The woman who live...

MINERSVILLE -- Horrifying! That's how some neighbors describe the conditions that police found inside a home in Schuylkill County.

The woman who lived there is accused of cruelty to animals.

Minersville police said they found two dogs, so malnourished that you could see their ribs. Police Chief Mike Combs called their living conditions filthy.

"There was feces all over the floor, all over the house it was a complete garbage sty. Trash piled up," said Chief Combs.

Chief Combs said he investigated after neighbors on Carbon street complained.

"Anger, you get angry because here is a helpless animal, here there are three animals, two dogs and a cat, and these animals are victims," explained Chief Combs.

Authorities said April Beckford is the animal abuser. She's been cited for cruelty.  We talked with Beckford on the phone. She would only say that she will pay whatever fine she is hit with.

Chief Combs wishes the law was tougher.

"I intend to contact our legislators. I would like to see that penalty increased right now a first offense is a summary offense. It's a traffic ticket, it`s going to be a fine," said Combs.

Neighbors were horrified by what police found. Peggy Mayhue lives next door to the home.

"Sometime you could hear the dog crying at night, it's a sad story. As a neighbor it was horrible how she was treating her animals yeah." said Mayhue.

Neighbor Betty Ann Paolella said she's angry.

"It's cruel, it's downright cruel that she went and got two dogs that didn't ask to be put in a situation like that," said Paolella.

The conditions were discovered in November, and since then one of the dogs has been adopted. The other dog and the cat will soon be available from the Hillside S.P.C.A. near Pottsville.

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