Pittsburgh-area humane officers see an increase in abused, abandoned and malnourished dogs
MCKEESPORT, Pa. (KDKA) — Humane officers in the Pittsburgh area say they are seeing an increase in the number of abused, abandoned and malnourished dogs.
Humane agents say places like Sable Kennel in McKeesport are becoming filled with dogs pulled from the street after their owners abandoned them.
"They're tossing them out in the street. We're finding them in abandoned houses, we're finding them everywhere," humane officer Dawn Weichler said.
The dogs often end up abandoned and starving. Many of the dogs end up dead, some are hit by cars and some are used by dog fighting rings to train more aggressive canines.
Weichler said she's finding on average 10 abandoned and starving dogs. So where are some of these animals coming from? Weichler blames backyard breeders.
"We don't have laws concerning the breeding," she said. "I'm all for reputable breeding. I'm not for backyard breeding."
"That's a huge root of the problem," she added. "Everyone is breeding and everybody wants a cute puppy for Christmas. Then when it's not a cute puppy anymore, we toss them out."
Many of the abandoned dogs at the kennels are also the result of people being lonely during the pandemic.
"During COVID, everybody wanted a dog, everybody got a dog. And now they're tossing them out in the street," Weichler said.
One of the problems, according to experts, is that the penalties for owners are often insignificant.
"I believe it $100 to $500 in court," Weichler said. "It's not strict enough."
Weichler said the problem is everywhere, but there are certain areas that are worse than others.
"We're finding them everywhere," she said. "McKeesport is a huge area where we are having problems. Duquesne, Braddock, North Braddock."