Advocacy group blasts plea deal in cruelty case against Derry cat shelter operator

A national animal advocacy organization Wednesday criticized a probation sentence imposed against a Derry-area woman who pleaded guilty to animal cruelty offenses.

In Defense of Animals, an international animal protection organization based in San Rafael, Calif., said the guilty plea entered by Kimberly Rose, 45, of Blairsville in late June was too lenient and a “miscarriage of justice.”

According to court records, Rose pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including three felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Police said Rose, president of the Cat Aid Network in Derry Township, oversaw a shelter in which humane officers said animals were mistreated and failed to receive proper medical care.

Rose and shelter treasurer Pamela Curry, 63 of Blairsville were initially charged last fall with dozens of animal cruelty related offenses in connection with allegations that hundreds of cats were housed in poor conditions in a mobile home and outdoor sheds.

According to court records, veterinarians who arrived at the Route 982 property in September 2022 reported finding 13 dead cats at the facility and unsanitary conditions with urine, feces, trash and fleas covering the inside of the mobile home. The cats suffered from respiratory issues, diarrhea, infections, parasites, mouth ulcers, untreated dental disease and malnutrition, among numerous other issues, authorities said.

In text messages obtained by investigators, Rose said she “just wanted to help, and I got in so over my head. Everyone stopped coming to help, and I just failed,” police said in court documents. Group volunteers told investigators they repeatedly offered help to Rose, but she refused their assistance.

Humane agents took custody of more than 200 cats that were housed at the rescue, police said.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Michael Stewart II on June 23 imposed terms of a negotiated plea deal that called for Rose to serve eight years on probation and possess no animals during her supervision.

Doll Stanley, a spokeswoman for In Defense of Animals, said Rose should not have been permitted to plead guilty to a reduced number of charges and blasted the deal as not sufficiently reflecting the cruelty inflicted upon cats sheltered at Rose’s facility.

“Whether from hoarding, fraud or ineptness, this kind of cruelty is devastating — not only for the animal victims but the entire rescue community,” Stanley said. “Justice should not depend on someone’s intentions, but on the suffering they caused. Sentences must reflect the severity of the harm caused since they may be the only deterrent for future shocking cases.”

Melanie Jones, spokeswoman for Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli, said the plea deal reflected that Rose accepted accountability for her actions.

The case against Curry remains pending. She is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 1 for a pretrial hearing, according to the court docket.