Manager of animal supplier charged with cruelty

The small animal manager of a local animal farm is facing criminal charges for alleged animal cruelty following a lengthy investigation.

A release from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office Wednesday stated that Clinton Arthur Holmes, 49, of Alburtis, Lehigh County, was cited for 28 instances of animal cruelty related to his position as a small animal manager at Holmes Farms Inc.

Authorities said an investigation by Detective Cpl. Robert Evans of Douglass (Mont.) Township Police Department found that 28 animals at Holmes Farms were not being properly cared for and were in need of veterinary care. The animals included seven gerbils, seven chinchillas, six hamsters, six Guinea pigs, one rabbit and one ferret.

As a summary offense, animal cruelty carries a punishment of up to 90 days in jail for each citation as well as a $50 to $750 fine per citation, authorities said.

The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said that Holmes will receive the citations and a court date will be set.

The Mercury previously reported in January that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had opened an investigation in December 2015 into the treatment of animals at the Berks County pet supplier. The federal inves-

tigation followed the published results of an undercover investigation done by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in which a PETA employee worked undercover for Holmes Farm Inc. over the course of a few months, according to PETA’s website.

PETA published a video of the investigation which depicted small animals being placed in plastic bags inside a freezer while still alive and shelves of stacked bins containing small animals that were deprived of food and water.

“Not taking care of animal’s basic needs like providing medical care is taken seriously under the law, and personally, having pets, it’s hard for me to understand,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. “The investigation revealed that these 28 animals were sick and not being properly cared for. The defendant could possibly serve jail time and could be ordered to pay up to $21,000 in fines.”

The case is being handled by Assistant District Attorney Lindsay O’Brien who specializes in animal cruelty cases for the District Attorney’s Office.