Pa. kennel owner convicted of animal cruelty; prosecutors say he let dogs, cats live in filth

Pa. kennel owner convicted of cruelty

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Pennsylvania breeder charged with neglecting scores of dogs and cats has been found guilty of animal cruelty.

A jury in Allentown convicted Derbe “Skip” Eckhart on Monday.

Lehigh County prosecutors alleged Eckart allowed his animals to live in their own waste and failed to give them sufficient food, water and medical care.

Eckhart maintained he ran a clean kennel.

He was charged following a 2008 raid of Almost Heaven Kennel by the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and state kennel regulators. Prosecutors also accused him of ignoring a state order to shut down.

Jurors deadlocked on two of the charges but reached agreement on nine others.