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Rebecca Halbach, 35, and Brandon Leconey, 32, have been arrested for endangering the welfare of a child and animal cruelty, after the harrowing discovery at their Evesham home on the 600 block of Main Street was made Monday, Aug. 28, police said.
Janice Thompson, who runs Tender Mercies Pet Organization, tells Daily Voice 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.
It wasn't immediately clear if anyone else was being investigated. The owner of that rescue, whose name Daily Voice is withholding pending an update from police, was not reachable as of Tuesday, Aug. 29.
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.
Officers found 14 dogs were found to be living in the home, along with numerous cats and rabbits. Nine dogs have been transported to the Mt. Laurel Animal Hospital, with several in extremely poor health, police said.
The Evesham Township Police Department is currently working with the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office to process the scene.
Leconey was being held in Burlington County Jail. Halbach is currently being evaluated at the hospital for an unrelated medical condition, and she will be lodged in jail once she is cleared for incarceration.
Additional animal cruelty charges will be filed once the actual number of dogs can be determined, police said.
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