Neglect charges dropped against former animal shelter chief

A former animal shelter director accused of neglecting animals is no longer facing charges.

Prosecutors say they didn’t have enough evidence to move forward with charges of animal neglect against Joy Braunstein former executive director of the former Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, which merged last year with another shelter to form Humane Animal Rescue.

She was accused of failing to sufficiently feed and properly shelter seven horses she rescued from Mississippi.

The horses were being kept at facilities in Indiana County run by another woman.

Braunstein's lawyer, Casey White, says his client was simply who housing horses that would have otherwise been slaughtered while trying to find suitable homes for them.

“Quite frankly, Ms. Braunstein didn't do anything wrong,” he said. “She was there to help. She tried to help these horses and no good deed goes unpunished. It was a stressful few weeks, months since the charges have been filed. Her name has been in and out to the media and she's just glad at finally some good news.”

White says Braunstein has since removed the horses from the Indiana County facilities and the animals are in good condition.

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