Centre County woman charged with neglect of 42 dogs, 5 of which were injured
A Centre County woman was charged Thursday with animal neglect after dozens of dogs were found living in what a humane society police officer described as deplorable conditions.
Denise A. Krape, 56, of Spring Township, was charged by summons Thursday with five misdemeanor and 42 summary counts of animal neglect. No defense lawyer was listed.
Krape called the Centre County Sheriff’s Office in February and expressed an interest in voluntarily surrendering about 10 dogs, humane officer Mark Rusnak wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. When he and a fellow humane officer arrived, they said they found six dogs in crates.
Each dog was infested with fleas and most had irritated skin and areas of thinning or missing fur. There were also large piles of garbage and an “overwhelming putrid odor” throughout the property, Rusnak wrote.
After obtaining a search warrant, Rusnak said dog feces covered the floors and could be seen on furniture. An additional 21 dogs and 15 puppies were then seized from the home along the 1200 block of Axemann Road.
In total, 42 dogs were transported to Centre County PAWS for treatment. Veterinary reports found they were not provided with access to sanitary shelter. Several had overgrown nails, at least two had bite wounds and at least one had an ear infection, Rusnak wrote.
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PAWS, the county’s largest no-kill animal shelter, said in a Facebook post that each dog was given a full medical exam, vaccinations, nail trims and a bath — what they described as a “massive effort.”
Every dog was placed in a foster home, PAWS Executive Director Lisa Bahr told the county commissioners in March. Saving those dogs “absolutely would not have been possible” without the creation of the county’s two humane officer positions, she said.
The commissioners pledged to donate $1,000 to the nonprofit to help offset the costs of caring for the dogs.
“This was a really dramatic and heartbreaking kind of situation with the number of those dogs that were in that home and the condition they were in,” Commissioner Amber Concepcion said. “... Getting them into homes so quickly is really impressive and speaks to the generosity of our community in meeting those needs.”
Commissioner Steve Dershem credited PAWS for protecting animals that he said probably would have had an “unseemly demise.”
“I know all three commissioners and a lot of folks — whether it’s in the [district attorney’s] office or in our criminal justice planning department — are so incredibly proud that we can partner with PAWS to make a difference in our community, and you certainly have,” Dershem said.
Krape’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10.
