Delaware Animal Rescue’s president is charged with animal cruelty.
Mark Ptomey was arrested last week and arraigned Wednesday following a search warrant at his home executed by the Division of Public Health’s Office of Animal Welfare’s Delaware Animal Services.
Delaware Animal Services seized 98 animals – including 49 cats, 42 dogs and seven small animals – from a townhome in New Castle where Ptomey operated an animal rescue.
He was charged with 64 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, 72 dog housing violations, 27 dog licensing violations and 68 rabies vaccination violations.
"Well, unfortunately, it was covered in trash feces up, and down the steps, flies, fleas everywhere, trash, pretty much at every step you take up-and-down. Some of the rooms were almost up to your kneecaps loaded with trash, no running toilets and there appeared to be fire damage in a kitchen. It was just devastatingly awful conditions that the animals were living in," said Mark Tobin, chief of Delaware Animal Welfare Services.
There was also a strong ammonia odor from excessive animal waste and pets were found in cramped filthy conditions with crates stacked throughout the home.
One cat died was found unresponsive and on the way to the veterinary hospital. Two other cats and a dog had to be euthanized due to their grave conditions. The other animals are being cared for by the Brandywine Valley SPCA.
This wasn’t the first time DAS was called to the home according to Mark Tobin, the chief of Delaware Animal Welfare Services.
"We did investigate previous calls when the population was extremely less,” said Tobin. “There was nothing compared to what it was when we went last week. And at that point, we actually offered to help him depopulate the population he had, which he refused."
New Castle Code Enforcement condemned the home due to the conditions.
