A woman who operated what she called an animal rescue operation has been charged with 43 counts of animal cruelty after sick and underweight animals were found in her filthy Delaware County house, the Pennsylvania SPCA announced Friday.
Last month, PSPCA officers, executing a search warrant, removed 28 dogs from Sixth Angel Shepherd Rescue Inc., which Terry Silva, 53, operated out of her Marcus Hook property.
Many of the dogs - German shepherds and shepherd mixes - were ill, the agency said.
An employee, Samantha Kenney, 28, of Marcus Hook, was charged with 28 counts of animal cruelty.
"All I know is that they had dogs next door," said Josephine Henry. She said the smell in the small walkway between the buildings was overpowering, especially in the summer. "I used to hold my nose."
Silva, a lawyer and former solicitor for the Chichester Area School Board, was cited in 2010 by the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement for illegally transporting dogs from North Carolina.
Marcus Hook has cited her for "possession of dogs producing odors, smells, and noises."
The PSPCA charges carry the weight of law, said spokeswoman Wendy Marano, and Silva will be notified of a court date.
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