Chester County SPCA spokesperson Rich Britton said that investigators Monday night found knives, books on witchcraft and skulls that appeared to be canine in the freezer and kitchen of a home in Caln Township.
One of the skulls was covered in gold flaking and displayed next to a vertebra, which Britton said investigators also believe is canine. Britton said that the exact purpose and origin of the animal remains was still unknown and that no charges would be filed until the whole story is uncovered.
"In my 41 years of practicing the occult, I've never come across any ritual or activity that involves killing dogs or cats," Lee said. "This person sounds more like a sadistic individual that should be heavily sedated than an occult practitioner."
Lee was particularly disturbed by the way the bones were decorated and displayed. The protocol is to bury the remains after the ritual, out of respect for the animals.
But what about respect for the law? Isn't sacrificing animals considered cruel? Not exactly, according to George Bengal, director of law enforcement for the state's SPCA.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that sacrificing animals is legal, as long as they're killed humanely (quick, minimally painful deaths) during the course of a religious ceremony. The problem, according to Bengal, is that the court never specified which animals are OK to sacrifice.
"It's a gray area," he said. "Personally, I wouldn't have any problem trying to bring someone who sacrificed a dog to court on charges of animal cruelty."
Since the remains found in Caln Township haven't been confirmed as canine, Bengal said there may not be cause for alarm. In his experience, goat and dog skulls can be easily confused.
