Woman charged after two dogs found drinking from roof gutter

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com

A Monessen woman is accused of animal neglect after her dogs were found on a second-floor roof drinking water from a gutter on a scorching summer day.
Jennifer Lynn Scott, 36, of Graham Avenue, is charged with cruelty to animals, neglect of animals-sustenance/water and summary counts each of application dog license/fees, penalties and vaccination against rabies required- proof of vaccination.
In an affidavit of probable cause, Monessen police Officer John C. Frederick wrote they were called to the 1100 block of Graham Avenue around 7:30 p.m. June 27 after a neighbor reported that a Rottweiler and a smaller dog were on the roof of Scott’s porch barking and trying to drink water from a gutter. The temperature that day was 92 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Frederick found the Rottweiler standing on the roof and was approached by a neighbor who was talking to Scott through a Facetime video call. Scott allegedly told the officer she was on her way home and trying to get a hold of a neighbor who she hoped would crawl through a window and let the dogs back in the house, court records state.
“After waiting several minutes, a neighbor never showed up,” Frederick wrote.
Frederick and officer Rebekah Shrader entered the home through a window near the front porch to let the Rottweiler back in the house through a second-floor window.
That’s when they discovered a black and white pitbull, a small brown dog and a cat living in filthy conditions with no water or food.
“We observed feces and urine all throughout the residence and there was no food or water for the animals,” Frederick wrote. “The Rottweiler appeared to have just had puppies not too long ago.”
The officers provided the animals with fresh food and water after finding two empty dog bowls in the kitchen. The neighbor told police the dogs had been on the roof for a couple hours before they started drinking, court records state.
“(The neighbor) stated that this is not the first time that this had happened and that there had been times where the dogs had been chained up out back for long periods of time without food or water and would howl all night,” Frederick said in the affidavit.
She allegedly told police there were also times that the dogs got stuck in a fence and that she had to go tell Scott to help them.
“Another neighbor stated that there had been times where Scott would be gone for several days at a time,” the officer wrote.
Police contacted Hoffman Animal Control in Delmont to investigate the treatment of the animals.
Staff from Hoffman visited Scott’s home June 30, but she was unable to provide proof that the dogs were licensed and had rabies vaccinations.
On Wednesday, Frederick said that due state animal cruelty law limitations, Scott was not forced to give up custody of the animals and they are still living in her home.
Scott was sent the charges via postal summons on Monday and is slated to appear 10 a.m. Sept. 18 for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Wayne Vlasic in Monessen.