Eastern PA Man Left 21 Animals In Boarded Up Home Without Water: DA

An Eastern Pennsylvania man has been convicted of animal cruelty after locking up 21 animals of several different species inside their home without food and water, authorities said.

Eric Lee Wise Werner, 40, of Conoy Township in Lancaster County, will be sentenced in the coming weeks.

Werner, along with Jadden Moore and Mary Goode, were evicted from their home on the 100 block of Falmouth Road in Conoy back in Sept. 2023.

However, police said they did not tell township officials there were animals abandoned inside before they left.

An SPCA officer found the residence boarded up with no food and water left for the animals, which included 15 cats, a kitten, three domestic rats, and a snake, according to authorities.

"A forensic examination of the remaining animals determined that they were severely underweight, dehydrated, missing eyes, jaundiced, hypothermic, infested with fleas, had decreased heart rates, and had difficulty breathing," the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said.

One of the cats was humanely euthanized by a veterinarian hours later due to its critical condition.

Judge Todd Brown will sentence Werner following a pre-sentence investigation.