I have reported this to the police, animal control, L&I - everyone. There are dogs in the basement that never leave. Please call animal control and report them.

you can call these numbers - i've already filed complaints.

267-385-3800 - animal abuse hotline powered by the spca
215-750-3100 - women's humane society (ask for the cruelty investigations officer)
216-686-3030 - 4th district police
215-686-8686 - licenses and inspections

The PSPCA was alerted to this issue - unfortunately, the owner refuses to let them in the home. Because she never lets her animals outside, ever, the PSPCA cannot see the state in which they live or their general condition. Officer Sorrell is assigned to the case.

Licenses and Inspections has 2 open violations on this house, for both interior and exterior problems (and many past violations). I encourage you to call them at 215-686-8686.

It is truly unfortunate that animals are living in such horrible conditions and nothing can be done about it - even when officers know that something wrong is going on.

Thanks Veronica.

I'd encourage you to ask more neighbors to visit this page and indicate that they also want the problem fixed. This seems to work very well in other communities.

Let me know if you'd like ideas of who else could be contacted.

That is HORRIBLE!!!!! Those poor animals!!!!!

Veronica, have you had luck forwarding this issue to neighbors? The more votes, the "higher profile" this becomes.

Acknowledged By (spt). Numerous complaints on this property. Ticket #426837 forwarded to Dept. of Licenses & Inspections. Current status: In Progress.

Any update on this? The stench is getting REALLY bad again this summer. I don't think the neighbors can take much more! thnx

Wow, how sad. Has anyone ever reported this to the police?

This hot summer has been the worst year yet. You can smell the feces and urine from either end of the block - please someone help these animals!

Getting more votes on this issue is probably the best way to fix it. Has anyone posted fliers?

Please fix this!!!!

@311: This the third highest ranked issue on the site in Philly. Can you let us know what is being done?

The city isn't going to do anything about this house. I've called 311, L&I, the PSPCA, an ADA that specializes in animal abuse cases, etc. etc. for months. They tell me every single time that they'll send someone out, but the homeowners refuse to let them in, and they need a warrant to enter. This site isn't helping anything - you keep saying to get more votes, but obviously if this is the 3rd highest ranked issue and nothing has been done in almost a year, nothing is going to happen. It's unfortunate that our city can just sit back and let humans and animals suffer.

The stink from this house is so fierce that I cannot open my windows. My wife and I have heard the barking and crying of large numbers of dogs from within this house. All the windows in the house are covered with sheets, blinds, etc so that nobody can see what is going on inside. The owners know they are doing something illegal and are hiding it. I suspect this house is being used for illegal dog and cat breeding.

I accidentally commented in the wrong thread regarding this home. I'm going to copy+paste what I wrote:

IF this is really happening, and has been happening for a year, and the police/health dept has not acted this entire time, I would hope that one of the neighbors would realize that you have a MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to find out what is happening by any means necessary. Years ago, the neighbors on the 3100 block of N. Marshall St called the police repeatedly regarding a smell from a house, and when the police came they were turned away by the homeowner. Months later, it was revealed that the home belonged to serial killer Gary Heidnik, and the smell was coming from the dismembered bodies of his victims. Had the police gained entry when they came out initially, they would also have discovered 5 women chained up in the basement, and been able to save them from torture and murder.
I had a similar issue with the police refusing to force entry upon a home where I knew the old woman inside was dead, as she had not been seen for weeks and there was a strange smell. After repeated attempts to involve police failed, It took a concerned citizen making a tip about a crime in progress for the police to finally access the house.
All I'm saying is if I lived on the 1800 block, and this horrible stench had been going on for a YEAR, I would switch my gameplan as these complaints don't seem to be doing any good. Most likely the stench is from a body (human or animal), and even more bodies may be piling up while the neighbors sit by and complain that the city won't help them.
You NEED to find out what is going on there, and sometimes you need to "think outside of the box" to get to the bottom of a problem.

Also, if you believe that this home is being used for breeding (I would think it may be moreso dogfighting, and the smell is the dead dogs) please contact the humane society. If you can find an "eyewitness" the humane society CAN get a warrant to enter. I once reported someone for having 30-40 dogs in cramped cages in their basement. Animal control was there the next day, removed the animals, and charged the resident with cruelty to animals.

Lelia, I think it's very easy for you to respond like this when you aren't familiar with the situation. If you knew anything about the house and owners, you'd know that they're violent and unstable. They have relatives on the street who are also violent. The windows of the house are completely covered in sheets and you can't see anything. They don't ever let the dogs out of the house, so you can't see what condition they are in. The owners themselves barely leave the house, and won't ever open the door for anyone to come inside. Since L&I has begun investigating the home, they've become even more paranoid about people from the outside.

There have been at least 50 calls to ACT, the ASCPA, PETA, and the Humane Society about this home. Like I said above, I've also worked with the ADA that specializes in animal abuse, who directly contacted George Bengal of the ASPCA to alert them. The ASPCA knows that something is going on with the home, but because there is no eyewitness to any abuse - you can only hear/smell things - they can't get a warrant. You also have to testify in court, and be sure that you report what you saw within 48 hours max. Unfortunately, you can only get a warrant based on something you saw. I contacted various newspapers to try to get more attention on the home - the City Paper wrote a small blurb here: http://citypaper.net/articles/2009/10/22/a-million-stories.

I put almost as much work as a part-time job trying to help the animals inside - and I don't even live on the block. If you don't think that we're doing enough, I suggest you donate 10-15 hours a week trying to contact city officials, writing to newspapers, doing research, and calling the ASPCA.

I wasn't insinuating that you weren't doing enough, what I was trying to say is that you've been writing complaints since last summer and nothing seems to be happening with the city investigating this.

I have reported animal abuse, and because I gave an eyewitness account the cops come out the very next day to seize the animals and arrest the homeowner. The cops were able to get a warrant based upon what I told them that I saw. The woman was convicted without me having to go to court or identify myself, as the police report on what was found was enough.

If someone were to say they saw something which would cause the police to enter the home, who knows how many lives they may be saving? Once the police are in there they are not going to care what the initial call was about, most cops are dog lovers and will just want to arrest those scumbags.

That is what I was trying to hint at.

I think its great you've contacted all these newspapers and agencies (I have too- I was aware of this problem before today but I didn't know about this website) but the letters and phone calls aren't working. It may take someone bending the law a bit to get anything done, thats just the way this city works.

BTW in my inital comment if you took my starting off by saying "IF" rude, I did not intend to write that in all caps, it was a typo.

I've already had 170 views since 4:00 on my blog about this and lots of people are throwing ideas around. I've also asked people with connections of some sort or other to see if they can get some help. I had heard about this house through word of mouth a while ago, but wasn't aware that the problem still existed until I found this website. I'm just incredulous that this has been going on for so long; had I known that nothing had happened with this I would have been on it a while ago.

Sorry again if I had come off as rude, that wasn't my intention, I was moreso just shocked and enraged when I wrote my first message.

Also please let me know if this is his picture, he is the legal owner of the house but I am still unsure if he is the one who lives there.

Leila, do you have an email address? I can send you more information/contacts.

Yes, you can e-mail liytran@yahoo.com I really want to help.

That man doesnt live in the house.
And Leila, feel free to make that anonymous call to the cops saying you saw something.

For a general area odor whose source cannot be identified, the Department of Public Health's Air Management Services unit can dispatch an air pollution inspector to investigate by calling the complaint line at (215) 685-7580.

@Philly311 I called them months ago. They told me that this wasn't their issue and they only deal with companies, not private homes. I also called Waste Management, they told me that this wasn't their job. And the Health Department.

Perhaps YOU should call them-or at least attempt to work as a team-since all of these agencies are turning away Philadelphia citizens who really are trying to help.

This hit the news!!!

SPCA: Over 100 Chihuahuas taken from South Phila home
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/crime&id=7555757

Wow! I am so glad that this is resolved. I hope a lot of the dogs can be spared and re-homed.

Tara Murtha is a reporter from the Philadelphia Weekly who is researching the history of this situation. I encourage everyone to share what you know with her. Her email is tmurtha@philadelphiaweekly.com

the people to whom you are directing your venom are not reading this thread

I was surprised at how the news broadcast treated the case so delicately. The people they interviewed did not sound at ALL like the people who have been complaining on this website, who also are neighbors of hers. The news also only showed dogs that looked healthy and did NOT mention anything about their living conditions nor the fact that she never took them outside. Instead they tried to make her out to be an animal lover! Strange...

this woman is clearly mentally ill and deserves compassion, as well as psychiactric treatment, which will undoubtedly be ordered by the court

Hey Veronika!

I am a reporter for the Daily News...I'm looking to talk to you or anyone else who has been trying to bring attention to this issue.

Please call me at 215-854-5926

Thanks :)

If any of the neighbors on Earp st still check this thread, I was just wondering if you knew where Fran and Richard went to stay after the house got condemned. Did they move in with their relatives across the street? Also, has the city cleaned out the house or does it still smell?

The house still stinks. I think the owners have 30 days to remediate before the city has its turn.

I called L&I last week and they said they would be at the house monday (7/26) to clean up.
I strongly hope this is true.

Thanks. Please keep us updated. I called the city as well, and they told me they would be out there today.

Should this be closed? Latest I saw in the news was in Sept 2011 (http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/Back-on-Earp-Street-But-Without-the-Animals.html). Issue closed for now, and if smell starts up again a new issue can be opened?

Yes, I guess this should be closed. Thank goodness! Thank you to all who assisted in dealing with this situation.

How does this get closed? It does not seem to let me.