Dog cruelty cases in Northwest Philadelphia spark PSPCA rally
In the wake of a string of extreme animal cruelty cases, the Pennsylvania Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (PSPCA) is hosting a rally Thursday evening in North Philadelphia.
“Justice for Chloe, A Rally Against Animal Abuse,” will kickoff at 7 p.m. at the Pennsylvania SPCA’s headquarters at 350 E. Erie Ave.
Chloe, a pit bull puppy, died on June 25 of burn-trauma after being set on fire near the 700 block of Gray Street in East Germantown.
Another four-month-old pit bull, Hercules, was set on fire last week near Cheltenham Avenue in West Oak Lane. He’s in for a long recovery, according to a July 7 update on the PSPCA’s website.
The PSPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement Department is still investigating both cases.There is a $1,500 reward for information about Hercules and a $5,000 reward for information about Chloe.
Speaking out against animal abuse
At the rally, Jerry Buckley, CEO of the PSPCA, and Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, will both speak about putting an end to animal abuse in the city.
The organization has also reached out to members of the Philadelphia City Council to attend the public event, said spokeswoman Wendy Marano.
“We’re going to be talking about ways people can get involved,” said Marano. ” We want to bring awareness to our anti-cruelty hotline. We’ll also be giving out purple Animal Abuse Awareness ribbons.”
Marano said there will also be an announcement about a new education initiative to inform people about abuse and how to report it.
“We want it to be a rally to motivate people,” said Marano. “We need people who see these crimes to report them. These crimes affect communities.”
The rally is set to take place on Thursday July 12 at 7 p.m. at the Pennsylvania SPCA headquarters, located at 350 E. Erie Avenue.
Anyone with information regarding either case should call the Pennsylvania SPCA’s anti-cruelty hotline: 1-866-601-SPCA. Visit www.pspca.org for more information.
Disclosure: Jerry buckley, CEO of the PSPCA, is on WHYY’s Board of Directors.
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