PSPCA official calls for speedier prosecution of kennel operator

When George Bengal of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals led a raid on a Chester County kennel last Thursday, he fully expected the owner to spend the night in jail.

Didn't happen.

The owner, John Blank, 54, of Cochranville, was released by Pennsylvania State Police, who figured the Amish farmer was unlikely to jump into his buggy and flee.

When Bengal, director of investigations for the PSPCA, drove to Oxford later that night to file charges of animal cruelty, he found that the district court was closed.

He couldn't file charges the next day, either. The magisterial district judge, Henry A. Farmer Jr., was out of the office.

Yesterday, he tried again, only to learn that the three misdemeanor counts were written on a form that was no longer valid. Farmer said they would have to be filed on a new form before he would accept them.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Bengal. "If this had been in Philadelphia, he [Blank] would have been booked immediately."

PSPCA officials hope to file charges today.

In addition to the three misdemeanor counts, Blank also faces 23 summary counts that include charges such as improper veterinary care. He could not be reached for comment.

Blank's troubles started when Bill Smith of Main Line Animal Rescue spied a small ad in a Lancaster paper for free breeder dogs. Volunteers went to pick up the dogs, he said, and found them to be in bad shape.

A puppy that PSPCA undercover investigator Ashley Mutch bought a week later from Blank was sickly and died 24 hours later, she said.

Officials then obtained a warrant to search Blank's kennels.

The raid was filmed by crews from the reality show

Animal Cops: Philadelphia

.