Police To Charge Mount Pleasant Man After Dozens Of Neglected Animals Found In Barn
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MOUNT PLEASANT TWP., Pa. (KDKA) – Dozens of animals were found at a home in Westmoreland County. Police are now pursuing it as a case of animal cruelty.
Tim Weinman was tired of feral cats coming over from his neighbor's barn and killing his chickens so he took matters into his own hands and called state police Tuesday morning.
"I told him last week I'll give you a few days to clean this up and if you don't I'm going to call somebody," Weinman said. "He hasn't been here since."
Weinman said the owner of the property's name is David Shirley.
State police showed up to the barn in Mount Pleasant Township not long after with several humane police officers and a vet. Inside, they found three horses and a goat. Dozens of kittens were roaming in and out of the barn. Humane officers said the animals are living in poor conditions and didn't have the food or water they needed. Ribs are visible on at least one of the horses. One of the horses also has cancer.
"I've been watching over there who's been going to feed and water them. What's he want me to do just sit and watch those horses die? I'm not gonna let that happen," Weinman said.
Humane police officers said Shirley surrendered all of the cats. The horses and goat will stay but officers said Shirley will have to properly care for the animals or they will either be surrendered or seized.
"It's not like he can say he wasn't warned. This has been going on three years now," said Weinman. "No animal should live like that."
A humane officer on scene said they also plan to go to Shirley's house in Mount Pleasant at some point to investigate to make sure there's no animal cruelty or neglect happening there.
State police said they will officially file animal cruelty charges Wednesday.
