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Muncie man charged in one of the worst animal cruelty cases on record

MUNCIE, Ind (WISH) — Charges have been filed in what authorities call one of the worst cases of animal cruelty in Delaware County. In May, dozens of dogs were confiscated from a Muncie home and 18 others were found dead in a freezer.

Jacob Pelfrey, 23, has been charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals and one count of failing to register as a dog breeder. Altogether, 46 dogs were taken from his home. Some did not survive, but many did.

William is still a puppy. He’s playful, energetic, happy but most importantly, William is healthy. Two months ago, that wasn’t the case. William was near death, in need of vaccines, proper nutrition and other basic needs.

“They should not have had to go through what they went through. They were bred for money. They were bred out of greed and they weren’t bred by a responsible caring person that was trying to better the breed,” said Nikki Kirby of Animal Rescue Fund.

Kirby and her family foster animals in need. She took in William, along with his 6 siblings and their mom. Sadly, four of the puppies died after contracting Parvo. It’s a virus commonly spread through feces and is preventable with vaccines.

“It’s incredibly hard. The second to last puppy, before she died, she was curled up in my lap. I was giving her fluid and she was curled up in my lap and she licked me. I had hopes that she would pull through. That’s the hardest part-is getting attached to them and then knowing you did everything you can and it’s not enough,” cried Kirby.

If convicted, Pelfrey could faces several years behind bars. Kirby’s hope is not that Pelfrey will suffer, but that no other animal will suffer.

“I hope that he is sorry. I hope that he feels bad. Whether or not he goes to jail, it’s not up to me. But I hope that he can never own another animal,” said Kirby.

According to the Muncie Animal Shelter, of the 46 dogs that survived, 36 are up for adoption and 10 are not adoptable. Click here for details on how you can adopt.

As for William and his mom, they are both up for adoption. Click here for details on how you can adopt.