Woman charged with cruelty to animals
NEMACOLIN – A Nemacolin woman is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after her dog and at least one of nine puppies died from neglect last month.
Cumberland Township police said Jessica Dawn Johnston, 34, of 381 Grant Lane, was not home for two weeks in July while her dog was chained up on the outside of the house. Police said they responded to the house when a neighbor reported the situation July 11.
“The dog had nine 3-week-old puppies which were currently still around the female dog,” police said in the criminal complaint. “The dog was chained to the house and laid dead with its head resting on a cinder block. The puppies were loose and not contained in any way.”
Johnston was not staying at the house, police said, due to the power being turned off. She allegedly told police she was aware her dog died, but “due to other family problems would be unable to remove the dog until later that night,” the complaint said.
The neighbor who reported the abuse told police she had been giving the dogs food and water because she saw Johnston was not caring for them. The neighbor told police the dog was still alive as of July 10, according to court documents.
Police said the female dog was not licensed at the time of its death. Three of the puppies were adopted by neighbors at the scene, police said, and six were taken to the Humane Society of Greene County, where one of them later died from the neglect.
Jane Gapen, director of the humane society, said they had to bottle feed the puppies when they arrived and give them medical attention. She said puppies are not supposed to leave their mothers until about eight weeks, but these pups lost their mother in three.
“We did everything we could for them,” said Jane Gapen. “They came in very sick. They were so ill, we thought they’d do better in a private home.”
Gapen said they gave the puppies to a rescue organization north of Pittsburgh, who then put the puppies in foster homes where they could get better, one-on-one attention and care.
Gapen said the five foster puppies, who she believes are St. Bernard mixes, are doing well now.
Johnston was charged Monday with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 20 summary violations regarding animal abuse. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. Sept. 12 before District Judge Lee Watson.