3 dogs seized, 2 found dead after Westmoreland County animal abuse investigation

Police said they seized three dogs and found two others buried in a backyard after they executed a search warrant during an animal abuse investigation in Westmoreland County. 

Douglas White, 27, and Mackinzie Orndoff, 26, are facing charges after the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said a neighbor recorded dozens of videos showing White severely abusing their dogs over the course of several months.

The district attorney's office said Monessen police were first contacted on Friday by a neighbor who had more than 50 videos of alleged animal abuse at White and Orndoff's Knox Avenue home. 

Monessen Police Chief David Yuhasz said that watching the videos sent to his department was difficult for everyone to see.

"Different videos show different things," Yuhasz said. "There was one of the male actor grabbing dogs by the scruff of the back of the neck, there are videos of him choking dogs, there are videos of him throwing the dogs on the ground, hitting their faces off the ground, kicking them — very alarming behavior to do to a helpless dog."

Police executed a search warrant, seizing three dogs and taking them to a local animal rescue for evaluation and treatment. During the investigation, police also said they found two dead dogs buried in the yard. Their bodies will be forensically examined. 

A second search of the home turned up marijuana and "related paraphernalia," authorities said. 

Neighbors like Tanner Kefover, who lives right across South 14th Street from White and Orndoff, says that he's happy three of the dogs were saved and are now at the All But Furgotten animal shelter. But he believes many more dogs were abused and possibly even killed at the hands of White and Orndoff.

"Since May of last year, we have seen them bring in about seven or eight dogs," said Kefover. "Two Australian shepherds, he had two German shepherds and a boxer and pit bull mix. It was so hard to keep track of the different breeds. They were coming and going. It seemed like the pit bull and the pit-boxer didn't last long."

White was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals, animal neglect and drug possession. Orndoff was charged with criminal conspiracy, neglect of vet care and drug possession.

But for Eli Piasecki, the man whose cameras documented the majority of his neighbor's depravity, he says no penalty is too harsh for the crimes he witnessed those two commit. When asked if this had brought his neighborhood together, he said simply, "No. It was always close, except for them." 

Both White and Orndoff were arrested and taken to the Westmoreland County Prison.