PITTSBURGH — Officers called to a home in Pittsburgh's Beechview neighborhood Friday for a well-being check discovered four dead dogs and an emaciated pit bull, police said.
Police arrested Taura Krill-McCormick, 25, on charges including five counts of animal cruelty and one count of harboring a nuisance, officials said.
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Channel 11's Cara Sapida learned that in her spare time, Krill-McCormick was known for rescuing, not harming, animals.
"Taura was helping dogs and cats for several rescues in the Pittsburgh area," said Melissa Panchura, a dog rescuer.
However, Panchura and fellow animal rescue workers were horrified to learn about the discovery made at Krill-McCormick's home on Friday.
Two pit bulls, a terrier mix and a rottweiler were found deceased about noon Friday, Pittsburgh Public Information Officer Sonya Toler said. Animal Care & Control rescued the emaciated pit bull, which is now being nursed back to health at the Animal Rescue League.
The dogs are believed to have been abandoned in the home for weeks.
"The dogs were probably in serious panic mode. I couldn't imagine what they were going through when she left them and never went back there," said Panchura.
Neighbors became concerned when they smelled a foul odor coming from the Sebring Avenue home, and noticed that mail had not been removed from the mailbox, according to Toler.
"It's awful, it's heartbreaking. It's also illegal to abandon animals it's illegal to neglect them and to abuse them," said Joy Braunstein, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society.
Staff at the Animal Rescue League said the dog who survived was dehydrated and well under weight, but he is expected to survive.
"He had access to some sort of food and water, whether it was toilet water or garbage, he at least had access to something to stay alive," said Katy Ewing, veterinary technician at the Animal Rescue League.
According to the criminal complaint, Krill-McCormick stated that she has no family members or friends to help her with her finances and did not know what she should do with the dogs.
"She could have picked up the phone. Hey, Melissa, these dogs are at my house, I can't do it, not going back. All of her friends on Facebook rescue would have done it too," said Panchura. "She was actively involved with animal rescue. She had more than enough resources she could have utilized."
Krill-McCormick said she was homeless and couldn't take them with her because all of the houses she was sleeping at would not allow her to bring the dogs with her, according to police.
Krill-McCormick also said that she would go to her residence every day from February through April to feed her 5 dogs and let them out of their kennels for exercise. However, police said she admitted to leaving her house on April 26 and never going back.