Fairfield homeowners charged with over 200 counts of animal cruelty
The elderly parents of a Fairfield woman appeared in court this week to support their daughter, who faces more than 200 counts of animal cruelty and neglect, only to be unsuspectedly snared by authorities and charged in the case.
Richard and Yvonne Klochak, ages 74 and 71, of Cape May Courthouse, N.J., were arraigned Wednesday before Ligonier District Judge Denise Thiel on 236 counts of aggravated animal cruelty, animal cruelty and neglect of animals. They were each released on $10,000 unsecured bond pending a preliminary hearing June 6, according to online court dockets.
"I strongly disagree with how the parents were treated," said Michael Aubele, the Uniontown lawyer representing Alexsandria Klochak, 53. "They attended their daughter's hearing for morale support, and then at the conclusion of the hearing they were told to stay in the courtroom because they were going to be arraigned on the same charges."
Yvonne Klochak walks with the assistance of a medical walker and Richard Klochak, a retired N.J. state trooper, has been ill recently and sometimes uses a wheelchair, Aubele said.
"None of these people have ever been in trouble before," he said.
On March 14, humane officers from All But Furgotten in North Huntingdon and the Humane Society of Westmoreland County in Hempfield went to a Ross Mountain Park home — described in court documents as flea infested — and seized nearly 100 dogs and cats.
Humane officers said Alexsandria Klochak lives in the home, which is owned by her parents and is where they once resided. After she initially refused to let them in, agents returned with a search warrant.
The younger Klochak formerly operated Sandy Paws, a pet grooming boutique, on North Fairfield Street in Ligonier.
A strong stench of animal urine and feces greeted Humane officers and state police at the Fairfield Township home, according to court records. Numerous rooms contained crates holding dogs, cats, a deer and a box turtle, humane officer Andrea Palmer reported in a criminal complaint.
Fleas bit the officers, and an overpowering smell burned their eyes and throats, Palmer reported.
"Rooms were overpowered with debris, feces, and floors were saturated with urine," she reported. "Floors were covered in urine-soaked paper towels, feces shoved against the walls."
The animals were in poor condition, officers said. Dogs had atrophied muscles and other health conditions as a result of neglect, and cats had upper respiratory infections, court documents state.
All of the animals — 30 dogs and 67 cats — were taken to a veterinarian. The deer and turtle were taken by a state game commission officer.
Officials with All But Furgotten, a nonprofit animal rescue facility that cared for the animals, could did not be reached for comment.
The elder Klochaks were arraigned on the complaints after Thiel found there was sufficient evidence for their daughter to stand trial following a preliminary hearing. Alexsandria Klochak remains free on $20,000 unsecured bond.
Aubele said his client disagrees with the charges.
"We dispute whether these animals suffered as serious bodily injuries as was claimed in the complaint," he said. "There was a fire on a building on the property in late 2017, and she had to temporarily move the animals into the home."
Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.
