(Editor's note: This article is from April 27, 2019, however when we retrieved the article to include it in a separate article, the date of publishing changed to today, Jan. 4, 2023.)
A Hatfield man is facing charges after he allegedly left his
three small dogs outside in freezing temperatures with no clean water.
Andrew Gold, 30, of the 1600 block of Werner Road, has been charged with cruelty to animals and harboring unlicensed dogs, in connection with the incident.
According to the criminal complaint, police were dispatched to Gold’s home at 4:02 p.m. on March 3 regarding an animal complaint filed by a neighbor, stating that several small dogs had been left outside for more than two hours. Upon arrival, police encountered three small dogs—all poodle or bichon mixes—outside in the rear yard of Gold’s home, while the temperature was 32 degrees and falling, the report states. Police also noted in the complaint that heavy snow was falling at the time, and there were high winds present, as well.
The criminal complaint states that the area where the dogs were fenced in was extremely wet and muddy, with several inches of water in places and no clean water for the dogs. The report also states that there were two small, plastic dog houses in the area, but neither had flooring or covering to keep the dogs dry and off the ground.
Due to the deteriorating weather conditions and the lack of proper shelter, police believed the dogs were in imminent danger of bodily injury or death, the report states. The dogs were then transported to the Conshohocken SPCA, according to the report.
The report does not indicate whether or not the dogs were returned to their owner, but it does state that police had warned Gold on a prior occasion about leaving his dogs outside for extended periods of time in poor weather conditions.
Gold has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 11 at 2:15 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Ed Levine.
(Editor's note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
See also:
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Long Island Man Arrested For Having Sex with Underage Girl in Hilltown
Hatfield Man Faces Felony Workers’ Comp Fraud Charges
North Wales Woman Arrested On Felony Forgery, Theft Charges
Three Men Charged In Assault Of Elderly Man In Lansdale (UPDATED)
