Homeowner charged after 16 animals seized from West Aliquippa home

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. — On Allegheny Avenue in West Aliquippa, you can smell the home before you see it.

“It was a very pungent smell. You can smell ammonia and feces throughout the whole residence. When we walked up the stairs, there were litter boxes and feces covering the floor. And as you got to the top, every inch of the house was covered. It didn’t matter where you were at — behind dressers, in closets,” said Christy Vogt, a Beaver County humane officer.

Living with two people inside that house of filth were 14 cats and two dogs.

“That living condition could cause sickness to you. Bacteria in feces, it goes through the air; it doesn’t just stay on the ground. It causes viruses, infections to a human as well as animals,” said Tristan Wenzigm another Beaver County humane officer.

According to court paperwork, those animals belonged to Megan Edwards. She told police that she was working to clean up the house, but officers quickly saw that wasn’t the case. One officer said the litter was there for months. All the animals are now in the custody of the Humane Society for treatment.

“There were a few that were pretty sick and on medication now,” Wenzig said.

The home is now condemned, as Edwards is facing 12 counts of animal cruelty and 12 counts of neglect to animals, all thanks to an anonymous tip that helped save these animals before the holidays.

“For me, it does break my heart because some people live like that because they chose to live like that. It’s (not) fair to the animals at all,” Vogt said.

Because of cases like this one, the Humane Society is packed full of animals. Now if you don’t want to adopt, you have the option to foster in order to get the animals out of the shelter for just a few days or for the holidays.

If you are interested in being part of the new foster program Silent Night, all you have to do is call 724-775-5801, extension 117.

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