Two men are accused of abusing and neglecting nine dogs in their Pittsburgh home.
According to court documents, police received a tip from a concerned citizen about animal abuse at a home on the 5100 block of Blair Street in Hazelwood.
Police said they received video of Ryan Chavers, 31, hitting the dogs with a long pipe-like object.
Garrett Harper, 47, was also found to be living at the residence, according to police.
Police entered the house on June 5 at 7:45 a.m. after obtaining a search warrant.
Nine cane corso dogs were discovered inside. Three of them were adults, and six were puppies, all about eight weeks old.
Police said all of the dogs were kept in the kitchen, which smelt of urine and faeces. When officers took the dogs out of the house, they discovered they were covered in it.
The animals needed medical attention and were transported to Animal Friends for treatment. Among them were puppies with bloody tails, one of which was partially docked and still hanging off.
Another puppy was unable to walk and eventually died.
An adult dog who was pregnant and suffering from severe medical issues, including an enlarged heart and blindness in one eye, had to be euthanised.
A veterinarian at Animal Friends told officers that all of the dogs had open wounds from illegal and unsafe docking.
Police said Chavers told them that another dog had died from heat stroke, but no body was found or recovered.
On July 3, charges were filed against Harper and Chavers. Together, the two are facing over 100 charges.
