A local couple pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts each of cruelty to animals and neglect animals-vet care after facing 36 felony charges for neglecting a hundred cats at their Hyde apartment.
GantNews.com reports, 37-year-old Thomas Duane Rowles, and 33-year-old Ana E. Houston, were sentenced to 10 years probation by Judge Paul E. Cherry and are prohibited from having pets during this time. They must also pay $500 plus costs and $775 in restitution to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
The case unfolded when police were alerted by the Clearfield County SPCA on Dec. 30, 2022, revealing grim details of 36 dead cats found in boxes on their porch and others buried nearby in a wooded area.
