Crime & Safety
Levittown Neighbors Outraged Over Dogs Left Outside
A spokesperson with the SPCA said the situation is under investigation and that the outdoor shelter for the five dogs meet lawful standards.
Levittown residents have expressed outrage on social media and with local authorities after seeing a home in the Twin Oaks section with five dogs chained outside while the entire Philadelphia region has been engulfed in freezing temperatures.
"The Dogs are neglected and abused, undernourished and underfed, the water is frozen and they are outside 24/7," reads a post that has been shared several times amongst local Facebook users. "These dogs will die soon if help is not given. They are chained in a back yard where they are hard to see outside the fence, but they are there, dying now."
According to a spokesperson with the Bucks County SPCA, investigators have visited the home Tuesday and Wednesday morning and spoken with the pet owners. While the situation looks dangerous and harmful, the dogs are healthy, well-fed and their outdoor shelters meet veterinarian standards. Each dog has its own doghouse that is elevated off the ground, enclosed and containing enough blankets to maintain warm body temperatures.
"We have received numerous calls about this family over the past 24 hours," said Nikki Thompson. "While this is not a situation that we recommend, the dogs are lively, have decent shelter and show no signs of danger. It is legal to have outdoor dogs as long as their shelters meet the standards."
Middletown police have also been notified and have visited the home, Thompson said. If the dogs had been in danger of dying or close to death, the SPCA would be authorized to take them into custody.
"If it looks like the animal can wait the two to three hours it takes to get a search warrant, we will get the proper paperwork," said Thompson. "If it appears the animal is on the verge of death right there, we can take it at the same time we are applying for the search warrants. That has happened only one time since I have been with the SPCA, with a starving pit bull. We saved it and it survived."
Thompson said this has not been the first time the SPCA has been notified about this particular family and its dogs. They have visited the home numerous times over the past several years investigating claims of neglect.
"Every time we go out, they take the dogs to the vet and correct the situation," sad Thompson.
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