Two Charged After Multiple Dogs and Cats Found Neglected in Shed in Hilltown, Police Say

Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now•

A man and a woman from Norristown are facing charges after four cats and four dogs were allegedly found to have been locked in crates in a shed in Hilltown Township without food or water.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators with the Bucks County SPCA received a call on Sept. 20 from a person stating a family member had been living in their shed and had left four cats and four dogs inside of the shed and had not taken care of them in days. Members of the Bucks SPCA and Hilltown Township Police Department arrived at the home along the 2000 block of Bethlehem Pike later that day and made entry into the shed, the report states.

Upon entry, investigators said they located a queen-sized bed on the right with a shelf containing various trash and cups with maggots inside. On the left side of the shed on the floor, investigators said they located a small, makeshift dog crate containing two extra-large and two medium-sized dogs, as well as a makeshift wire cage on top of the crate containing four kittens, according to charging documents.

Investigators said there was no food or water in either cage, the kittens were crying to come out, and the shed smelled of animal feces, urine, and rotten trash or food.

Efforts to reach the animals’ owners — identified as 39-year-old Danielle Houck and 38-year-old Michael Allen Jr. — were unsuccessful at that time, and a SAFE hold was subsequently placed on the animals, the report states.

Upon being freed from the cages, the dogs immediately ran to their water bowls, and despite the bowls being filled with brown water and containing leaves, they began to drink anyway, investigators said. Clean water was then provided, which the dogs drank until the bowls were empty, the report states. Investigators then stopped the dogs from drinking further to prevent them from developing dangerous medical conditions, according to the report.

An assessment was performed on the eight animals the following day, which showed two of the dogs to be very emaciated, while the other two dogs were on the lower end of normal, investigators said. The four kittens were found to be varying from the lower end of normal to slightly emaciated, and all four were found to have ear mites, according to the complaint.

The report states that all eight animals have been recovering and regaining weight with a treatment of providing food and water. The kittens were also treated for ear mites, officials said.

"These facts and circumstances lead your affiant to believe that no veterinary care has been provided to address the dogs’ poor body condition or the ear mite infestation that each kitten was suffering with,” reads a portion of the criminal complaint. "Your affiant also believes, based on facts and circumstances, that these animals were living in unsanitary conditions without access to food and/or water.”

As a result of the investigation, Houck and Allen have been charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of neglect of animals, and 12 summary counts of neglect of animals.

Their first court appearance will be a preliminary hearing on Dec. 19 at 3:45 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Regina Armitage.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.