A Lancaster County man was charged after illegally euthanizing his 4 Sheepadoodle puppies as a result of he was unable to promote them, police mentioned in court docket paperwork.
John S. Stoltzfus Jr., 46, was charged with 4 felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and 4 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals in connection to the deaths of 4 Sheepadoodle puppies in Oct. 2023, in response to an affidavit of possible trigger.
The affidavit offered the next account:
New Holland police obtained a report on Oct. 31 at 9:16 a.m. concerning the dying of 4 black puppies from an worker of an animal organization that was not listed in court docket paperwork.
The worker advised police that Stoltzfus Jr. contacted them on Oct. 30 requesting the removing of 4 Sheepadoodle puppies named Tammy, Terry, Todd, and Tom from a web site that listed them on the market, the affidavit mentioned. The breed is a cross between Poodles and Old English Sheepdogs.
When the worker requested Stoltzfus why, he mentioned “black puppies are not selling” so he “put them to sleep,” in response to court docket paperwork.
After Stoltzfus was requested if he had taken them to a veterinarian to be put down, Stoltzfus mentioned that he did it himself, police mentioned.
When Pennsylvania SPCA responded to his home on Nov. 1 at 9:35 a.m. to ask Stoltzfus concerning the disposal of the 4 puppies, he mentioned that he had “taken care” of the puppies himself and put them in a compost pile on the property situated at his home, the affidavit mentioned.
Later that day, New Holland police and Pennsylvania SPCA executed a search warrant at his home.
Court paperwork mentioned Stoltzfus was requested how he put the puppies down, Stoltzfus advised police “We have a good way of doing it. We took good care of them.” He additionally advised police, “I put them down.”
Stoltzfus advised police he placed the puppies in a “compost pile about a week ago.”
After police requested Stoltzfus to indicate them the place the puppies have been killed, he took them to a “floor-type drain” inside a barn, behind cows the place the manure runoff goes.
Investigators famous that the drain was not deep and solely 12-16 inches large, in response to the affidavit.
Court paperwork mentioned no stays of puppies have been discovered through the search. Police mentioned the puppies have been 16 to twenty weeks old and about 25 kilos every.
Stoltzfus is out on unsecured bail that was set at $10,000 and is awaiting a preliminary listening to scheduled for March 11.
