BAINBRIDGE, Pa. — Authorities in Lancaster County are searching for three people accused of abandoning more than 20 animals and leaving the bodies of more than 50 others stored in freezers after they were evicted from their Conoy Township home last year.
The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced the Pennsylvania SPCA charged Eric Werner, Jadden Moore and Mary Good with aggravated animal cruelty, cruelty to animals, and neglect of animals.
The three suspects were evicted from a home they shared on the 100 block of Falmouth Road in September 2023, authorities said. Following their eviction, they allegedly made no attempt to inform township officials that there were living and dead animals left inside the home.
A Pennsylvania SPCA humane society officer was called to the home in October, where they found the residence boarded up with no food or water left for the animals inside, authorities claim.
Officers initially recovered 15 adult cats, a kitten, three domestic rats and a snake. One of the cats was humanely euthanized by a veterinarian hours after being recovered due to its critical condition.
Authorities said Good confirmed to SPCA that the animals belonged to her, her son (Werner), and her boyfriend (Moore).
Police returned to the home weeks later after it appeared to have been burglarized. They found an additional five guinea pigs, two wild rabbits, six newborn kittens, 16 kittens ranging from under one month to around two months old, a juvenile cat, and seven adult cats wrapped in plastic bags in a freezer along with frozen food.
Another newborn rabbit, white mouse, white rat, newborn kitten, 12 kittens younger than two months old and a juvenile cat were found inside bags in a second freezer, authorities said.
A total of 21 living animals and 55 dead animals were recovered from the home, according to authorities.
A forensic examination of the surviving animals revealed that they were severely underweight, dehydrated, missing eyes, jaundiced, hypothermic, infested with fleas, had decreased heart rates and had difficulty breathing.
Police are now searching for Werner, Moore and Good.
Anyone with information as to their whereabouts can contact their local police department or county detective Joanne Resh at 717-295-5933.
