Woman charged for deplorable animal conditions

By Debbie Wachter
New Castle News Mar 4, 2021 Updated Mar 4, 2021

Authorities have filed felony charges against a Washington Township woman who kept a menagerie of pit bulls, mice, gerbils and snakes with four children in her mobile home in deplorable conditions. ... State police lodged the animal cruelty-related charges against Tesha Semaj Berry, 36, of 535 Rabbit Haven Lane, after confiscating 30 pit bulls, two kittens, two ball python snakes, two gerbils and six feeder mice.

Three other dead ball python snakes also were found in individual plastic bins inside her house. ... A warrant has been issued for her arrest on a total of 154 criminal counts filed against her on Wednesday following an investigation.

Berry is accused of keeping the animals and her children in execrable, unsanitary conditions and not providing the animals with proper food, water and protection. The conditions were observed inside and outside of her home, according to a criminal complaint, and the pit bulls' ears were cropped so short their eardrums were exposed. ... Lawrence County Children and Youth Services removed the children, ranging from ages 5 to 11, from the home and placed them with another family member.

The police received information about the conditions of the animals and the residence from a sworn humane police officer. A man had reported to the officer that he was trying to buy a pit bull puppy for $4,000 from Berry and he noticed about 30 dogs living in overcrowded, unsanitary and unsafe conditions in 20-degree weather.

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