Two Northampton County couples are facing 77 charges of animal neglect after 32 neglected cats were removed from their home

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals filed the charges against Barry and Lisa Gross, and Anthony and Judith Piller, who live in Lehigh Township with a Walnutport address.

On July 20 Northampton County Crisis contacted the SPCA about a home with numerous cats in the 600 block of Almond Road.

The caller said she was assisting Lehigh Township Police and they were unable to enter the front door due to the amount of feces piled up inside, and once entry was gained, she saw 2 to 3 inches of feces in some areas and was only able to see the first floor of the three-floor home.

When Katherine Hogan of the SPCA went to the home on July 25 she saw six cats in the driveway with various medical conditions that would require necessary veterinary care.

While Hogan knocked on the front door, she detected a strong foul odor coming from inside of the home.

Judith Piller met Hogan and told her that she and her husband have health issues so they haven’t been able to clean up after their cats.

Judith Piller wouldn’t let Hogan inside the home for inspection.

Hogan pointed out a cat with what appeared to be a reabsorbed eye and another cat that appeared to have a large wound behind its ear, stating that these conditions would require veterinary care. Piller agreed, but said it would take some time.

Hogan then asked Piller if she would be willing to surrender any of the cats that needed veterinary care. She refused.

Piller said she would schedule an inspection time.

She said most of their indoor cats were intact, and she was interested in spay and neuter services to help stop her cats from multiplying.

On July 28, Piller scheduled an inspection on Aug. 3.

On Aug. 1 Piller canceled the inspection.

She said her son-in-law, Barry Gross, was planning to leave for vacation on Aug. 7 and “won’t be done by then” since he was the only one without medical limitations in the home to clean.

A new date was set for Aug. 10.

On Aug. 10, Hogan went to the house and saw three orange-colored cats in the front window. She knocked on the front door and someone inside of the home asked her to come in through the rear door.

Hogan began walking around the location toward the back door and saw numerous trash bags by the garage doors and back deck area that had a very foul odor to them. Several of the trash bags were open with rolled up carpet inside and had what appeared to be brown feces caked on the carpet.

Anthony Piller came out and Hogan could smell a foul odor from inside of the location.

Once Hogan stepped inside of the location, she struggled to breathe due to the high levels of ammonia inside the home.

As a result, Hogan had a sore throat, felt very light headed and smelled very strongly from the stench.

Hogan said when she entered the house several cats were on a mattress on the floor, eating from a plate on top of it.

On Aug. 13, Hogan returned with a search warrant, along with Lehigh Township Police Officers, Northampton County Crisis and two additional PSPCA officers.

Anthony Piller began arguing with Hogan.

Lisa Gross screamed out to Hogan that they had no right to be there, and made several threats that if her cats were removed, Hogan would be sorry.

A skeleton of a cat was found under the couch. There was no running water inside the house.

Several of the cats were underweight, with many having severe dental disease, fleas, dermatitis, hair loss and eye and ear discharges, wounds on the skin and other medical issues.

One cat was pregnant and gave birth in veterinary care to two live kittens and one stillborn.

Following photographing the scene and observing the conditions, Hogan left the house and spoke with the family, stating that at this point all cats inside of the location were in violation and needed to be removed, to which they all became very frantic and argumentative with Hogan.

Eventually, Lisa Gross told Hogan they would surrender the cats located in the main residence, however, not the cats located inside the bedroom.

Anthony Piller threatened Hogan, and as the cats were being loaded into the transport vehicle, he said “he would skin (Hogan) alive,” according to court documents.

In all 32 cats were seized and taken to the PSPCA headquarters and examined by veterinary staff. Examinations revealed issues with 30 out of 32 cats.

Barry Gross, 57, and Lisa Gross, 55, along with Anthony Piller, 78, and Judith Piller, 78, all of Walnutport, each face 77 charges of neglect of animals.

Hogan charged that the four failed to provide necessary veterinary care causing bodily injury to six of the cats for their conditions; failed to provide necessary veterinary care for 25 additional cats; failed to provide access to clean and sanitary shelter to 23 cats and failed to provide potable water to 23 cats.

They are scheduled to have preliminary hearings Oct. 18 before District Judge Robert A. Hawke of Walnutport.