Pennsylvania man who put fishhooks, razor blades in dog treats pleads guilty to animal cruelty
A Pennsylvania man accused of scattering dog treats filled with fishhooks and razor blades on the street will spend up to two years in prison after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges, the Northampton County District Attorney's Office said Thursday.
Joseph Janko-Hudson pleaded guilty on April 9 to one count each of cruelty to animals and aggravated cruelty to animals after he was caught on surveillance camera discarding the tainted treats on the 400 block of Northampton Street in Easton.
Easton police were notified on Feb. 8, 2026, that a person walking their dog in the area had collected about six small dog treats that had fishhooks inside them, according to the DA's office.
After reviewing video from the area, police saw a man, identified as Janko-Hudson, dropping the treats from his pocket and onto the street. Officers went back to the same location and found more treats embedded with fishhooks, and arrested the 47-year-old on cruelty to animals and other offenses, the DA said.
Then on Feb. 17, prosecutors said police got a report that a dog was injured after ingesting a treat containing a razor blade near the 300 block of Northampton Street. The dog's owner was able to pick up other identical treats from the area that matched those found a block away earlier in the month.
The dog required two surgeries, prompting police to charge Janko-Hudson with an additional aggravated cruelty to animals count, the DA said.
Prosecutors said the injured dog recovered.
In addition to being sentenced to 1-2 years in prison, Janko-Hudson was sentenced to three years of probation, was ordered to pay restitution to the owner of the dog that ingested the razor blade and is barred from owning or controlling animals for seven years.
