Ten counts of animal cruelty have been filed against a former Honesdale woman for allegedly housing her dogs in a self-storage unit on Commercial Street in Honesdale.
Charges were filed Friday against SueAnn Wilke-Westbrook of Emisbille, PA, by Marlene Metzger, Pennsylvania Humane Society Police Officer for the Dessin Animal Shelter. Metzger says the charges, one count for each of the 10 Shelties, stem from the July 24 incident, when the dogs were found at the storage unit and from a July 22 incident where 14 dogs (the same 10 and four more) were being kept in transport crates inside a garage in Beach Lake.
“She’s not a bad person. I have five dogs. I know how hard it is to take care of them. To have 10 to 14 of them is a big commitment. But if you choose to have them, you need to do what’s right for them,” Metzger said. “She’ll tell you she loves her dogs. And I’ll go round and round with her, ‘If you love them, how can you let them get into the condition they’re in?’” Metzger says the dogs were, “flea infested, they stunk really bad, and some of them were covered in feces.”
All 10 dogs taken from the storage unit are being kept at the Dessin Animal Shelter in Bethany, pending the outcome of the court’s decision. Metzger says she took five of the dogs, the older ones and any that seemed to have a problem, to Cherry Ridge Veterinary Clinic on July 25. She said some had ear infections, some had severe flea infestations or suffering from flea allergies, where the dog is allergic to the flea’s saliva and the area becomes very red and raw from scratching, and some are in need of dental work.
The dogs range in age from 3 to 14 years-old. Metzger said Wilke-Westbrook is a Sheltie Breeder and that the older dogs are show dogs. “They are really nice dogs, and they are very nice representations of their breed,” Metzger said.
Each count of animal cruelty, summary offenses in this case, is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, and/or $50 to $750 in fines, Metzger said.
No phone number was listed to contact Wilke-Westbrook.
