PSPCA: Illegal kennel operator pleads guilty to animal cruelty

A Lancaster County man has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of summary animal cruelty for allegedly operating an unlicensed kennel.

Elam Beiler, 36, will pay a $50 fine on each count, according to a news release from the Pennsylvania SPCA.

He is still facing unresolved charges of unlawfully operating a kennel without a license and failure to have dogs licensed and vaccinated for rabies, court records state.

Responding to a tip, PSPCA Humane Law Enforcement officers searched Beiler's property in Leola, Pa. on Dec. 2.

Inside, they found dogs living in unsanitary conditions and suffering from untreated medical issues, including "significant" eye and ear infections, the PSPCA said.

A total of 10 Maltese and Poodle-type dogs were seized from the property. Two of them still require ongoing medical treatment, according to the PSPCA.

"The PSPCA is pleased that Mr. Beiler has accepted responsibility for his actions and that these animals have found justice," CEO Jerry Buckley said in a statement. "As a result of our work, a majority of these dogs were able to spend the holidays in happy, warm homes."

Beiler once legally operated Horseshoe Kennel in Leola but shut the business down in 2010, as stricter state regulations went into effect, according to a report from The Inquirer.

Anyone wishing to report animal abuse is advised to call the PSPCA's cruelty hotline at 1-866-601-SPCA.