Glen Lyon woman charged with starving dog

NEWPORT TWP. — Humane officers with the SPCA of Luzerne County charged a woman with starving a Pit Bull dog named Bella seized from a cage filled with feces and urine soaked pads in April.

Crystal Lynn Roper, 35, of East Main Street, Glen Lyon, is facing four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, two misdemeanor counts of neglect of animals, a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals and summary counts of neglect of animals and cruelty to animals. The charges were filed Thursday with District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke.

Humane officers served a search warrant at Roper’s residence on April 16, when she surrendered the dog, which was nursed back to health.

According to the criminal complaint:

A humane officer investigated a report about a thin dog at Roper’s residence in early December. The officer visited the residence, spoke to Roper and viewed the dog that “looked satisfactory at the time although slightly thin but active.”

Roper claimed the dog was five-months old. The human officer provided Roper with dog food and information about free veterinary services.

Humane officers received another complaint about the dog in mid-April.

A humane officer visited Roper’s residence on April 16 but was unable to make contact with her. A second visit by the humane officer the same day resulted in the dog being seen through a window.

The dog was lying in a cage with feces, an over-turned bowl and what appeared to be urine-soaked pads, the complaint says.

A search warrant was obtained by humane officers and served at Roper’s residence the night of April 16, when she surrendered the dog.

The dog was not able to stand and too weak to eat, the complaint says.

Humane officers took the dog to Northeast Veterinary Referral Hospital where the dog weighed 11.9 pounds and was extremely emaciated.

The dog was placed on an eating and water schedule and gradually was nursed back to health. The dog weighed 32 pounds on July 12, the complaint says.