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A Hatfield Township man is facing felony animal abuse charges after a necropsy examination allegedly showed that his two Rottweiler dogs had died from exposure to rat poison.
Thomas Hazzard, 40, has been charged with two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals — causing serious bodily injury or death, one felony count of criminal trespassing, misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and summary counts of neglect of animals – tethering, in connection with the investigation.
Hatfield Township Police were dispatched to the 1700 block of North Broad Street at 10:04 a.m. on May 25 for a public service request. Upon arrival, police encountered “the overwhelming odor of decomposition” coming from a vacant office space area on the first floor of the building.
Investigators said they spoke with the tenants living in the first-floor apartment — identified as Hazzard — who stated that he had found his two dogs dead in the vacant office space around 10 p.m. the prior evening. Hazzard told police that the dogs were four years old and had no health problems, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators said that the room in which the dogs were confined provided little mobility for the animals, there was no food or water, and the room temperature was “extremely hot” due to there being no windows or ventilation. The report states that there was a significant amount of dried blood coming from the orifices of the deceased dogs, and the only other items present were a ladder, a closed paint can and blankets.
The Montgomery County SPCA took custody of the dogs remains and later performed a necropsy examination. Ultimately, the doctor concluded that the cause of death for both dogs was toxin ingestion, as there were no other signs of trauma, the pooled and dried blood near the dogs’ orifices was consistent with toxin ingestion, and one of the dogs tested positive for rat poison, according to the report.
Investigators spoke with the landlord of the building, who stated that Hazzard was not allowed access to the vacant office space next to his apartment, and confirmed that the vacant space had never been treated for rodents or pests, the report states. The landlord also stated that there were no toxic or harmful substances inside of the vacant space, police said.
The complaint adds that a previous landlord in Lansdale Borough, who rented space to Hazzard that was used primarily for storage, told investigators that he would keep his dogs at that same location in “deplorable conditions.” The landlord added that Hazzard would keep the dogs locked in a dark room inside of the building with no heat during the winter, and he would leave them for long periods without returning to provide care, according to the complaint.
The Lansdale Borough landlord said that as a result of Hazzard’s negligence, he had to take care of the dogs himself on multiple occasions, the report states.
Charges against Hazzard were officially filed on July 13, and he was taken into custody two days later. Hazzard remains free on $5,000 unsecured bail, and his preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. in front of District Judge Andrea Duffy.
Hazzard Cited in May After Dogs Attacked a Juvenile, Police Say
Due to the proximity of the Hazzard’s rental unit in Lansdale, as well as the matching breeds of the dogs, North Penn Now reached out to Lansdale Police to see if there was a connection between the two dead Rottweilers and a dog attack on Walnut Street in late April that left a juvenile hospitalized.
In that incident, police were dispatched to the 100 block of Walnut Street on April 29 at 1:41 p.m. to assist emergency medical personnel on a report of a person being attacked by two dogs. Upon arrival, police made contact with a juvenile victim suffering numerous puncture wounds and lacerations to his arms, legs, back, face and head.
Witnesses at the time told North Penn Now that the attacking dogs were a pair of large Rottweilers. In an email to North Penn Now, police confirmed that the two Rottweilers involved in the attack belonged to Hazzard.
Court records indicate that summary charges were filed against Hazzard on May 10, including failing to provide proof of vaccination against rabies, failing to confine the dogs and dog attacks against humans without provocation.
All charges are currently listed as inactive, and no plea has been entered.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using court records and the affidavit of probable cause.
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