All dogs expected to make full recovery in Muncie animal cruelty case
MUNCIE, Ind (WISH) — 17 puppies were found dead in a freezer. Another 46 other dogs were living among feces, urine and filth. Police arrested a Muncie man. He’s now facing charges of animal cruelty.
Authorities are calling it the worst case of animal abuse they’ve ever seen. Some of these animals were near death. Many of the details are too gruesome to publish. As bad as this story may seem, it does have a happy ending.
“One dog was missing an ear from a previous injury that had healed on its own. Most of the dogs were pretty scarred up. So it’s just a horrible situation,” said Animal Control Superintendent Phil Peckinpaugh.
Police arrested 23-year-old Jacob Pelfrey. He faces more than 20 charges; including three counts of cruelty to an animal. Officials say Pelfrey breeds American Bulldogs. The majority of the dogs confiscated were bulldogs that had been involved in fights.
“I don’t think that it was organized dog fighting. When you have that many dogs housed, they fight each other. There was blood splattered all over the wall, along with feces and urine and dirt and filth. It’s evident there had been pretty severe fights,” said Peckinpaugh.
Six dogs are being treated by a local vet. The remaining 40 are being taken in by area shelters and rescues like Animal Rescue Fund.
“As an animal lover, you just can’t understand what they’re thinking. There really are no words. There are no words. It’s just heartbreaking,” said ARF Founder Terri Panszi.
After last night’s bust, the shelter is now full. ARF is taking in a mom and her puppies. The organization is also taking in several other dogs that were already at the shelter, to make room for the dogs that were rescued.
“We’re going to turn this around. It’ll be good at the end of all this. That’s the happy news. It’ll all be ok,” said Panszi.
Peckinpaugh said he believes all 46 dogs will make a full recovery. They will be up for adoption in about a month.
In the meantime, the shelter is taking donations for medical care. They’re asking people to adopt animals to make room for the dogs that were rescued.
The shelter is also asking for doggie care packages with things like dog treats and toys included. If you’d like to help out, contact the Muncie Animal Shelter at 765-747-4851.