A Smethport woman has been charged with 120 counts relating to cruelty to animals after police responded to her house on a tip about animal neglect.
Terri D. Burdick, 52, of 3038 Bordell Road, is charged with four counts each of aggravated cruelty to animals, torture and aggravated cruelty to animals, causing death; all third-degree felonies; 28 counts of cruelty to animals, mistreatment, all second-degree misdemeanors; 28 counts of neglect of an animal, food and water and 28 counts of neglect of animal, clean and sanitary shelter, and 28 counts of neglect, veterinary care, all third-degree misdemeanors.
According to the criminal complaint, on Dec. 30, Lewis Run-based state police received an anonymous call about animal cruelty. The caller told troopers that two horses were in a barn at Burdick’s Bordell Road property, and one of the horses was dead. The caller said there were multiple dogs and cats inside the house, with no running water.
Troopers went to the property, saw indications of animal abuse and obtained a warrant to search the property and seize all animals. At 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30, two troopers served the search warrant and saw signs of neglect. There was no accessible food or water for any of the animals on the property. The troopers found a dead horse, two dead chickens and a dead cat, as well as multiple other animals in unclean and unsanitary conditions, the criminal complaint stated.
Troopers noted multiple dogs and cats were inside of the residence, with “multiple animals being forced to stand in their own feces and urine.” All of the animals seized from the property needed veterinarian care from medical issues caused by the living conditions, the complaint read.
The officers called a veterinarian to the scene, and determined the animals that died had done so from extreme neglect. At 11 p.m., Burdick arrived at the residence. She admitted to police that she was the primary caretaker of the animals, and said she knew the animals shouldn’t be living in those conditions, the records read.
Burdick was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Bill Todd and released on $20,000 unsecured bail. She is scheduled to appear in Central Court on Feb. 20.
