LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster County police have charged a man with a felony count of aggravated cruelty towards animals following a March 3 incident.
According to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office, Richard Swangler, 56, from Bucks County, was living at a residence along the 100 block of W. Broad Street when officers received a call from a man reporting a wild animal, which he believed to be a jaguar, inside his home.
Officers were dispatched and found Swangler inside his home with scratch and bite marks on his arms, but no wild animals in the home.
A further search of the home revealed a severely injured small, black cat, who was suffering from a traumatic degloving of the lower chin/mandible. The cat was transported to PETS emergency center where surgical care was given.
Organizations for Responsible Care of Animals (ORCA) transported the cat, who is now recovering and is expected to make a full recovery.
Swangler was arrested for outstanding probation violation warrants. Additionally, he's been charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
His bail was set at $15,000.
