The Humane Society of Lackawanna County charged 20-year-old ANTHONY MERCADO (pictured), with animal cruelty.
Until recently, MERCADO was a corporal for the Blakely Police Department. Blakely Police Chief Guy Salerno said he’s no longer employed by the borough.
At the end of April 2025, Humane Officer Marci Zeiler launched an investigation into MERCADO after one of his neighbors reported seeing a thin dog in the yard of his home on Hickory Street in Peckville. The report received by Humane Officer Zeiler included a photo showing a female Boxer named Reya who appeared to be emaciated.
Humane Officer Zeiler then alerted Blakely Police Chief Salerno to the situation and together with MERCADO they met to discuss Reya’s condition.
MERCADO told them that although Reya was thin, she ate well. MERCADO added that Reya had a wound on her front leg that he was treating himself.
Humane Officer Zeiler together with Chief Salerno and MERCADO went to MERCADO’s home.
Once inside the home, Humane Officer Zeiler was overwhelmed by the odor of urine. Inside the home were two dogs: a German Shepherd and a Lab type puppy.
The German Shepherd was on a leash and the puppy was in a crate.
Humane Officer Zeiler first inspected the German Shepherd. The furvictim had a dull coat and was losing tufts of hair. According to the criminal complaint, the dog had a body condition 4 out of 9.
Next, Humane Officer Zeiler inspected the puppy whose body condition also scored 4 out of nine.
MERCADO told Humane Officer Zeiler that he had acquired the puppy a few months ago and was “really fat” but had lost weight. According to the complaint, both furvictims were as dirty as the backyard. Although there were food bowls in the yard, they were empty and dirty.
Humane Officer Zeiler then began to inspect Reya and reported that her body condition scored 1 out of 9. She said that “Every bone in her body was visible.”
Humane Officer Zeiler went on to report that Reya “had an open wound on her right front carpal joint with extreme swelling, She had open sores on her left front carpal joint, both ischium bones on her back end and the end of her tail. Her feet had urine stains turning her white marks yellow.”
MERCADO told the Officer that Reya lived in a crate which currently had feces inside. He then claimed he cleaned the crate often.
Humane Officer Zeiler told MERCADO he could either surrender Reya or she would come back with a warrant. To that, MERCADO continued to display lack of concern for Reya’s condition and stated he would take Reya to a veterinarian.
As you can see from the picture below, Reya’s situation could not be put on hold! It required urgent intervention!!
Humane Officer Zeiler explained to MERCADO it was too late for that, and only at that point MERCADO agreed to surrender Reya.
Humane Officer Zeiler then rightfully said that if she took Reya back to the shelter and she gained weight right away, that would show that MERCADO had failed to properly feed her.
When Reya was finally at Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, she was examined by a veterinarian. The vet reported that Reya didn’t have any conditions that would explain her low weight. Reya tested positive for giardia, an intestinal parasite, which can sometimes cause weight loss. However, it doesn’t usually affect older dogs. Reya was successfully treated for giardia.
At the shelter, Reya ate and drank eagerly, she was put on a refeeding program and over the course of the following weeks, she gained about twenty pounds. Reya was later adopted.
Court records show that MERCADO is now facing one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor count of neglect of animals - sustenance/water.
He is scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Laura Turlip on July 9, 2025, at 9:15 a.m.
I have reached out to the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office to inquire about the other two dogs. District Attorney Brian Gallagher said that the dogs were healthy, and his office could not “legally remove them.” However, there are going to be new developments in the case, and he will get back to me. I will post an update once I hear back from him.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.
In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.
For more animal cruelty stories, please click here. Thank you!
