A Westmoreland County woman called police after finding all 21 of her cats dead inside her home on North Second Street in West Newton, discovering the animals in various stages of decomposition after she says she had entrusted their care to another man for nearly a year. Jonathan Hodgetts now faces charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, cruelty to animals and neglect in connection with the deaths.
A Yearlong Arrangement That Ended in Tragedy
According to CBS News, the homeowner told investigators Hodgetts was supposed to be caring for the cats for the past year while she tended to another cat that was sick. She said she sent supplies to the home during that time, and that Hodgetts sent her pictures assuring her the cats were fine, according to the district attorney's office. The outlet reports Hodgetts is from Jeannette, though WPXI identifies him as being from Charleroi.
The homeowner said she last saw the cats alive in July, per the district attorney's office. She also told investigators that Hodgetts had been rescuing the cats and getting them fixed, and that the two had discussed turning a detached garage into a cat sanctuary, according to crimewatch.net.
Necropsy Points to Starvation
A veterinarian who performed necropsies on the cats determined they died due to starvation, the same report states. Police described the North Charleroi property as being in extreme disarray and emitting a strong odor, according to the Mon Valley Independent. As with any criminal case, the charges against Hodgetts are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Pennsylvania
The case echoes another recent Pennsylvania animal cruelty prosecution. In Lancaster Township, a woman named Jocelyn James was charged after the Pennsylvania SPCA removed 78 cats and kittens from her home in June, as reported by PennLive. Authorities there found cats living amid feces with trash piled floor to ceiling, and filed 13 cruelty charges along with 78 neglect charges; the outlet notes most of the cats were ragdolls, and that 70 of those surrendered to the agency have since been adopted while eight remain in protective custody.
Statewide figures underscore how often these cases surface. More than 25,000 animal-abuse offenses have been filed across Pennsylvania since Libre's Law took effect in 2017, according to the Pennsylvania courts system, with neglect accounting for 54 percent of those filings. The law, also known as Act 10, strengthened animal protections, introduced stricter tethering rules, imposed harsher penalties for certain offenses and required those convicted of abuse to forfeit their animals.
Under Pennsylvania law, aggravated cruelty to an animal — the most serious charge Hodgetts faces — covers intentionally or knowingly torturing an animal, or violating neglect or cruelty statutes in a way that causes serious bodily injury or death. It is classified as a third-degree felony.
