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In August, more than 30 dead dogs were found at a home in Burlington County — and police had said there could be 70 more on the property.
Rebecca Halbach, 35, and Brandon Leconey, 32, also had been arrested for endangering the welfare of a child after the harrowing discovery at their Evesham home on the 600 block of Main Street was made Monday, Aug. 28, police said.
On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Evesham police said that Halbach had posed as a rescue worker with Leconey's knowledge and that the couple allegedly had engaged in computer crimes. Halbach also had pocketed $7,000 illegally as part of the con, police said.
"Halbach was not an employee or volunteer with the specified animal rescue," police said in a statement.
Janice Thompson, who runs Tender Mercies Pet Organization, told Daily Voice in August that three dogs rescued by her org in North Carolina were sent to a New Jersey rescue as her facilities were at capacity.
Those dogs, along with puppies they'd recently birthed, were given to Halbach and Leconey to foster sometime in late April, Thompson said on a call with Daily Voice. While Thompson got regular updates on the puppies, she never seemed to hear about their mothers, she said.
"We got very concerned," Thompson said. "We don't play. We love our dogs. When [Halbach and Leconey] sent us pictures of the mamas... they didn't look healthy."
Halbach apparently later admitted to the other rescue that one of Thompson's dogs had died, and so, a friend of Thompson's rescue went to Halbach and Leconey's home on Sunday evening, Aug. 27, Thompson said.
When Thompson saw her dogs, she was shocked, she said.
"The dogs were so skinny covered in fleas, long toenails," she said. "Our patron called the police. We were not only concerned about our dogs, but any other dogs in the home."
Police said they were called to the scene on reports of animal cruelty, and found that the conditions in the home were extremely poor due to the amount of deceased animals throughout the home. Thompson said that's when they instructed the patron to take their dogs to the vet immediately.
One of Thompson's dogs, Shadow, died.
A juvenile was found to be living in the home and was removed by police due to the unhealthy conditions. The New Jersey Division of Child Protection & Permanency (DCP&P) was contacted and is investigating. The child is now in the care of DCP&P.
Another nine dogs were in serious condition and one had to be euthanized, Evesham police said on Tuesday, Aug. 29.
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