- Pennsylvania, USA -
On January 3, 2025, in Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court, 55-year-old DAN KARBOWSKY pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after he intentionally withheld medical care for his 13-year-old male Chow mix named Echo.
The case dates back to March 2022, when Humane Officers with the animal rescue All But Furgotten were alerted to social media posts and were additionally contacted by witnesses regarding a dog, on Henry Street in Belle Vernon, who had a tumor hanging from his chest and matted fur on his back end.
On March 23, 2022, Humane Officers went to KARBOWSKY’s home at the aforementioned address and found Echo with a large tumor, several open wounds, and matted hair compressed with mud and feces.
KARBOWSKY told the Officers that in 2019, Echo had been diagnosed with cancer and a whipworm infection and added that he did not have the money to seek medical treatment for him.
Witnesses, however, stated that they came forward and offered KARBOWSKY financial help which KARBOWSKY refused.
Officers removed Echo and he thankfully received emergency medical care and tests on the tumor came back negative for cancer.
Hannah Novak of All But Furgotten told KDKA: “When we got him, he had pretty sizable open sores on his body. Along with the open sores, he had a pretty sizable mass that almost touched the ground. It was on his abdomen.”
Facing a felony count of aggravated cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor count of neglect, KARBOWSKY pleaded guilty to three lesser misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty on January 3, 2025, and Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani gifted him with probation!
KARBOWSKY was sentenced to six years' probation and was ordered to pay more than $16,000 in medical restitution to All But Furgotten.
In August 2024, KARBOWSKY rejected a plea deal that called for him to accept a felony conviction and serve three to twenty-three months behind bars.
While KARBOWSKY received a six-year ban on “owning” animals, his wife was allowed by judge Feliciani to keep her three cats.
Ms. Novak told KDKA that the KARBOWSKYS are “subject to random house visits and welfare checks, so we can do random checks on those cats to make sure they are being cared for properly as well.”
Echo is thriving in a foster home!
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