Schwenksville Woman Charged With 12 Counts Of Animal Cruelty

A Schwenksville woman is facing animal cruelty charges following an investigation by the Montgomery County Humane Society earlier this year, which uncovered a total of 17 animals living in squalor, including 11 German shepherds and other non-canine animals.

Rebecca Fulton, of the 800-block of Summit Avenue, has been charged with a total of 12 counts of cruelty to animals. Each of the first 11 counts represents  a canine that was retrieved from the home, and the 12th count represents the other animals that were retrieved, including a snake, two ducklings, a cat, a parakeet and a hamster.

According to Kristina Machalette, who serves as a police officer with the Montco Humane Society, the investigation began in early March, after she received an anonymous tip stating that multiple animals were living in "very unsanitary conditions" at the home. After a previous attempt to reach out to the Fulton had failed, Machalette -- along with a member of the borough's code enforcement -- was able to finally secure entry into the home on March 21.

"The house smelled of urine and feces," said Machalette, describing the home as a small rancher with a basement. "It was coming from outside the home, and then once we got it the home, it was worse."

Machalette said that she observed one dog being kept in the basement of the home, one dog in the bathroom, three dogs in the main living area, five to six dogs in a bedroom, and a dog and a cat being crated in another bedroom. Additionally, she found the two ducklings in a small aquarium.

"It was definitely one of the worst cases I've investigated," said Machalette, adding that feces, urine and trash were covering the floors throughout the home. "With the amount of dogs that were in the house, and the fact that the dogs were being separated in different rooms, the entire house was totally unsanitary. There wasn't one room that was clean."

When asked how Fulton was able to secure so many animals, Machalette stated that Fulton had collected the animals from a variety of sources.

"Some of the animals were given to her, and others she got from rescues," said Machalette. "Some she rescued herself, and a couple she got from a breeder."

Fulton immediately signed over custody of all the animals to the Humane Society, where they then had to undergo extensive training.

"Most of the dogs were really on the thin-side, and a lot of them had not been properly socialized," said Machalette. "We had to have our trainers come in and work with some of them, and they had to do weeks of training with these dogs to get them to simply walk on a leash properly."

So far, all of the animals have found new homes through the humane society, except for two of the German shepherds who are involved in a custody hearing, after a breeder claimed ownership.

Fulton faces extensive fines for each count of cruelty to animals, though she can avoid going to court by pleading guilty and paying the fines. She has since moved from her Summit Avenue home, and no court date has been set, according to Machalette.