A former Jeannette woman signed away her rights to seven dogs, four cats, five cockatiels and a gecko that police said she left behind in a condemned home after she left town, according to court documents.
Paula Kessler-Nock, 45, of Penn Hills, is free on $30,000 unsecured bail after being arraigned Sunday. She is charged with aggravated animal cruelty and animal neglect.
Jeannette police said they were informed June 17 by a neighbor on North Third Street that Kessler-Nock had moved out a few weeks earlier after the house was condemned and left some animals behind. The neighbor told police that Kessler-Nock would pull up to the house and go inside for about 10 minutes at a time, according to court documents.
When officers went inside with a search warrant, Hoffman Kennels and All But Furgotten Animal Rescue said they found floors covered in dog and cat feces, making it difficult for the animals to get on. sleep in a clean place, according to court documents. Two mixed-breed dogs were emaciated and the cats, two rottweilers and a gecko, had no food or water, police said.
The three dogs and the birds had no clean water and police said there were rats throughout the house, which had no electricity. During the search, Kessler-Nock arrived and admitted to knowledge of the deplorable conditions, according to court documents.
One of the animals was later treated for canine parvovirus and survived.
Photos published on the All But Furgotten Facebook page show debris scattered on the ground and visible ribs on one of the dogs. Some animals were transferred to rescue organizations elsewhere.
A number on Kessler-Nock’s police records was out of service. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 31. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
Renatta Signorini is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .