Cost of dogs’ care to be decided after cruelty case against Chartiers pair resolved
Citing due process concerns, a judge advised Washington Area Humane Society representatives Wednesday to wait until a related criminal case is resolved before it pursues the costs of caring for dogs it seized from a Chartiers Township home in December.
“I think it would be more appropriate if we wait until the final disposition of the charges,” Washington County Judge Damon Faldowski said, recommending the group refile its petition at that point.
The animals were seized from outside a Crossroad Road home by a humane officer the day after he got a tip from a UPS driver and allegedly found eight dogs “amidst the cold and wintry weather,” according to a petition the group filed against Marci Klinzing and William Moore, who live at the home, seeking veterinary and boarding costs for the dogs.
The humane officer left a note. He returned the following day with a warrant, escorted by township police, and seized eight dogs when he allegedly found them in similar conditions. Klinzing, 48. and Moore, 68, each faces eight counts of animal cruelty brought by township police in a criminal case stemming from the allegations.
Klinzing – who said the attorney for her and her friend Moore was unable to attend – denied mistreating the animals and agreed with Faldowski’s decision.
“There’s nobody in the world who doesn’t want to see an animal mistreated as much as I do,” Moore said. “I love animals.”
During the brief proceeding, Zachary Bombatch, the humane society’s attorney, argued the group’s request was within the scope of the 2013 state law that allows humane societies to recover costs of caring for animals seized in cruelty cases.
Bombatch told Faldowski Klinzing and Moore declined to relinquish control of the dogs, one of which has since borne four puppies, before the hearing began.
The petition noted Klinzing was previously found guilty of cruelty to animals in 2013 following a trial before Judge Gary Gilman.
The group asked Faldowski to award it $20 a day for each of the dogs, which Bombatch said has come to more than $27,000 – a sum that continues to grow by $240 a day.
Under the Costs of Care Act, any order requiring owners to pay costs is terminated if they surrender all rights to the animals.
Kelly Proudfit, executive director of the humane society, said the group is “definitely doing the right thing for these animals” and said its goal is to place the dogs in adoptive homes.