Brandywine Valley SPCA rescues 38 animals, including kitten with amputated leg; suspect arrested
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- A person is facing felony charges for animal cruelty and neglect after 38 animals, including a kitten with an amputated front leg, were rescued from a Coatesville home last week, according to the Brandywine Valley SPCA.
The suspect was charged with aggravated cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty and neglect in connection with allegedly amputating a 1.5 pound kitten's leg. Several more charges are pending related to the rest of the animals recovered by law enforcement including a dog, rabbit, turtle and nearly three dozen more cats and kittens, the BVSPCA said in a news release.
The BVSPCA did not identify the suspect by name in the news release.
BVSPCA Humane Law Enforcement Sergeant Bryan Jackson was the first to hear about the wrongfully amputated kitten, named Roo, while responding to a report of a stray dog last week in Coatesville.
Officials say Roo, who's just 1-month-old, was handed over to them, wrapped in duct tape and without a front leg. BVSPCA officials said Roo's severed front leg had exposed bone and the kitten needed surgery to remove dead tissue and bone to repair the wound. The kitten was taken to the BVSPCA's West Chester Campus for treatment.
At the time Roo was taken into their care, she was also filthy, dehydrated and had a fever, per the BVSPCA. The organization said Roo survived the surgeries and is currently under medical care in a foster home.
"The thought of what this tiny kitten has endured is heartbreaking," Adam Lamb, BVSPCA's Chief Executive Officer, said. "It is truly a miracle she survived this horrific trauma and neglect, and we are committed to providing her with the medical attention and care she needs to heal both physically and emotionally."
Animal Protective Services and Coatesville police responded to the suspect's home to make an arrest and recovered 38 animals living in what they described as "deplorable conditions."
The BVSPCA said one kitten was found dead in the home, and some of the animals rescued were suffering from infected eyes, untreated wounds and upper respiratory infections.
Once the rescued animals are medically cleared, they will be available for adoption at the West Chester Campus.