Authorities are still looking for a woman wanted in an incident
where the remains of 21 Great Danes were found about two weeks ago
on West Corydon Street.
McKean County Humane Officer Tony Danias said Sunday he has not
heard that Cheryl Ann Magnotta, 59, formerly of 320 W. Corydon St.,
was apprehended and believes law enforcement agencies are still
looking for her.
A warrant and statewide “be on the lookout” bulletin were issued
for Magnotta on Friday after Bradford Township Police said she was
supposedly seen in the Bradford area. The BOLO means law
enforcement agencies throughout the state will be seeking to
apprehend Magnotta.
According to court records at Magisterial District Judge Rich
Luther’s office, Magnotta is facing charges of 21 counts of cruelty
to animals, third-degree misdemeanors; and 41 counts of scattering
rubbish, summary offenses, for the incident.
Jack Buckles of Rocking Horse Realty in Smethport was sent to
the residence on June 12 by the owners of the foreclosed house, the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in care of Ocwen Federal Bank,
to clean up the property in preparation for sale and check for
occupancy when he found the remains of two domestic dogs in a
kennel area of an out building on the property at 3:20 p.m. The
dogs appeared to have died from starvation.
Danias was notified and requested the assistance of the Bradford
Township Police and Bradford Township Code Enforcement Officer
Merle Silvis for manpower and resources due to the scope of the
situation.
Upon investigating the scene after obtaining a search warrant
for the property on June 14, Danias, Silvis and police found the
remains of 21 Great Danes in various forms of decomposition at
10:32 a.m. in two boarded-up out buildings, wrapped in tarps and
underneath old carpet or rugs. Police noted no food or water dishes
inside or around the kennel areas.
The dogs, including adult and younger dogs, were believed to
have died in about a period of three to nine months ago and were
covered by lime, soil, debris and even dog feces.
Police also located 32 plastic bags of dog feces, which were
scattered throughout the property of 320 W. Corydon St., as well as
property adjacent to the north owned by another.
Police said a few of the dog carcasses were sent to a local
veterinarian for autopsies, and the rest are being kept as
evidence.
Police had said Magnotta was a known breeder/owner of Great
Danes, having a registered license as of 2001 under the name Swift
Dane Kennel. She reportedly won a Great Dane Club of America
competition with Great Danes she owned in 2004. Police found
documents relating to the ownership, breeding, kennel license and
other various records pertaining to raising of domestic dogs in the
search.
Magnotta was last known to be at 320 W. Corydon St. on June 11
with a 26-foot U-Haul moving truck, rented from Olean, N.Y., to
move items from the residence since the property was under
foreclosure by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, according to
court documents.
Danias reportedly cited Magnotta, who police had said was
believed to be a native of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, in the
past for neglect of dogs.
