Police have accused an Allegheny Township man of neglecting his three dogs while he was out of state for work.
Township police charged Matthew William Brueggeman, 40, with three counts of cruelty to animals, nine misdemeanor counts of mistreating animals and nine summary offenses of neglecting animals.
Police started their investigation into Brueggeman on May 28 after neighbors said there were abandoned animals inside his house, according to a criminal complaint. Neighbors told police they had not seen anyone at the house for at least two weeks, the complaint said.
An officer called Brueggeman, who said he had been traveling out of state for work for the past month and that he has two people watching his three dogs inside, police said. Brueggeman was unable to give the officer contact information for the people, the complaint said.
Officers wrote in the complaint that when they visited the house, in the 5100 block of Watters Road, it had a foul odor and its back porch was covered in garbage. The officers also saw feces and garbage on the floor inside where the dogs were, the complaint said.
Police searched the home later that day and an officer made contact with a man who said he was a friend of Brueggeman, the complaint said. The man said Brueggeman only asked him to check on the dogs six times since April 24.
On April 24, Brueggeman messaged him saying the person he had asked to watch the dogs didn’t, and that Brueggeman needed him to check on the dogs, which he did, according to the complaint.
On May 9, Brueggeman asked the man to check on the dogs, telling him that he does not think anyone checked on the dogs since May 1, the complaint said.
Officers said they were met with a strong, foul smell when they entered the house and that the dogs were covered in fecal matter and fleas, the complaint said.
Officers saw at least 10 buckets of fecal matter with maggots crawling in them and there was feces on walls, kitchen countertops and the floor, the complaint said. The dogs did not have access to food, and water also was shut off to the house, police said.
When officers called Brueggeman to inform him they were taking the dogs, Brueggeman said it was not his fault the people he asked to watch the dogs canceled on him, police said.
Champion Crusaiders Rescue in Vandergrift took the dogs and brought them to the Kiski Valley Animal Clinic, where they were examined by a doctor in June, according to the complaint.
The veterinarian determined the dogs were underweight and likely would have died if they had continued to live in the conditions they were found, the complaint said.
A preliminary hearing for Brueggeman is scheduled for Aug. 27 before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.
